Building on experience: a framework for cybersecurity policy

Each year, more and more governments are developing policies to address security challenges presented by an increasingly digitized world. And to support those efforts, I’m excited today to announce the release of Microsoft’s new Cybersecurity Policy Framework, a resource for policymakers that provides an overview of the building blocks of effective cybersecurity policies and that is aligned with the best practices from around the globe. Nations coming online today, and building their cybersecurity infrastructures, should not—and need not—be burdened with the stumbling blocks that characterized previous generations of cybersecurity policies. Instead, such nations should be empowered to leapfrog outdated challenges and unnecessary hurdles.

For years, Microsoft has worked with policymakers in advanced and emerging economies, and across many social and political contexts, to support the development of policies to address a wide range of cybersecurity challenges. This new publication captures and distills the important lessons learned from those years of experience partnering with governments. And as increasing numbers of countries wrestle with how to best address cybersecurity challenges, the Cybersecurity Policy Framework is an indispensable resource for the policymakers joining this work.

According to the last analysis provided by the United Nations, half of the countries on earth today either have or are developing national cybersecurity strategies. I have little doubt that in the next decade every single outstanding country will add its name to that list. And this trend highlights the importance of this new resource. The policies established today will impact how technologies are used for years to come and how safe or dangerous the online world becomes for all of us. Truly, there is no going back, only forward.

The Cybersecurity Policy Framework is not one-stop shopping for cybersecurity policymakers, but it does serve as an important “umbrella document,” providing a high-level overview of concepts and priorities that must be top of mind when developing an effective and resilient cybersecurity policy environment.

Specifically, this new resource outlines:

• National strategies for cybersecurity.
• How to establish a national cyber agency.
• How to develop and update cybercrime laws.
• How to develop and update critical infrastructure protections.
• International strategies for cybersecurity.

We at Microsoft have been at this work for a long time and have developed a wide variety of resources to help those who are working to position their industries and nations to capitalize on the benefits of new technologies—so many that they can often be difficult to find! And this highlights another strength of the Cybersecurity Policy Framework, while it is not one-stop shopping, each section does provide an overview of a critical policy topic as well as links to the associated and more in-depth resources my team has developed over the years to assist policymakers. In this way, this new resource serves not only as essential, high-level guidance, but also as a key to a broader catalogue of resources built on years of experience partnering with governments around the world.

Reading through this new resource, I am proud of the work we have done in pursuit of a safer online world. Important progress has been made and these foundational principles underscore much today’s cybersecurity discourse. However, we have—and will always have—more work to do as a result of the changes and innovations in technology always on the horizon, and their implications for cybersecurity. I’m glad to put this resource forward today to support a new generation of policymakers and also look forward to partnering with them to tackle the new challenges we will face together tomorrow.

Download your copy of the Cybersecurity Policy Framework today.

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