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LLNL-Georgetown University report seeks to establish cybersecurity roadmap

LIVERMORE, Calif. — America needs a clear set of priorities to evaluate and thwart potential threats to the United States cyber domain, according to a report by Georgetown’s Institute for Law, Science and Global Security in conjunction with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

The report, titled "Reboot: Defining Paths to Cyber Policy, Law and Technology Solutions," aims to establish a roadmap to expand research and amplify the national dialogue on cybersecurity issues.

"The Reboot report adds a fresh perspective to the debate over how best to secure cyberspace, addressing the emerging challenges related to policy, technology and law," said Catherine Lotrionte, associate director of the Institute for Law, Science and Global Security.

"Georgetown looks forward to working with our partners in government, industry and the national labs to achieve the goals set out in this report.

Through such relationships the goal is to stimulate open, public analysis and discussion of cyber strategy."  Lotrionte is also a visiting professor of foreign service and government at Georgetown University.

The report recommends establishing appropriate roles and responsibilities for dealing with issues on national and local levels, and ensuring that current Internet users, as well as future generations, act responsibly to protect themselves and others from cyber attacks.

As numerous studies, reports and public discussions have articulated over the past several years, there is an increasing awareness and recognition that given the relative "lawless" nature of cyberspace, governments must step up to the challenge of more closely partnering with the private sector, which essentially owns the network.

This past March, Georgetown and Lawrence Livermore hosted a workshop to debate these issues and collaborate in developing innovative solutions to current and future challenges in cyberspace. The workshop capitalized on the talent and experience of participants in the areas of policy, law, technology and private industry.

"Our Reboot report is a key milestone for our overall cyber research activity at Lawrence Livermore," said Wes Spain, program director and focus area leader for Livermore’s research efforts in cybersecurity.

"In the cybersecurity domain, the policy, legal and technical issues are so inextricably linked that it is absolutely essential that decision making — particularly at the national level — is fully informed by synthesized input from the three. Our partnership with Georgetown’s expertise in policy and law enables our research to have a much more meaningful impact nationally."

Georgetown University is the oldest and largest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in Washington, D.C., Doha, Qatar and around the world.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory that develops science and engineering technology and provides innovative solutions to our nation’s most important challenges. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.