US government seeks international consensus on cyber space

The Obama administration has released its plans for establishing better international management of the internet.

The International Strategy for Cyberspace (PDF) outlines policies designed to manage online security, commerce and user rights while ensuring an open internet.

Areas of focus include law enforcement, security, governance and US and international trade policies. Administration officials hope to provide a platform for multiple agencies and governments to collaborate on developing policies.

"What we are trying to do is to integrate cyber issues into our programmes across the board," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "Too often the discussions we have deal with each of these challenges separately."

The plan calls for international management of the internet using what the White House terms "stability through norms".

The administration said that it wants to work with other governments to establish a consensus on acceptable behaviour and procedures, in areas such as law enforcement, user privacy and freedom of speech.

Additionally, the plan calls for the inclusion of the private sector when making policy decisions on internet governance. Over 80 per cent of the critical network infrastructure in the US is in private ownership.

"If you seek an internet that has all the benefits of today and fewer risks, you have a partner in the US," said Homeland Security advisor John Brennan.

The report will now go through a six-month review with federal agencies.

It comes just days after the White House put forward proposals for updating cyber security policies in the US to better manage cyber crime and respond to data breaches domestically.