With the publication of The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace in 2003, the U.S. government showed that it was committed to protect its nation and citizens against cyber attacks. This document and the spirit behind it were meant to complement The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets.

The guiding notion of The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace in 2003 was to motivate and empower U.S. citizens so that they could assist in securing cyberspace—the parts they owned, operated, controlled, or interacted with. U.S. government officials maintained that they alone could not secure cyberspace; they needed the coordinated assistance of other key stakeholders. These key stakeholders included businesses, citizens, and state and local governments.

See Also: Critical Infrastructures; Critical Networks; Cyberspace.