Presidential Policy Directive -- United States Cyber
Incident Coordination
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/26/presidential-policy-directive-united-states-cyberincident
26 July 2016
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2016
July 26, 2016
PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE/PPD-41
SUBJECT: United States Cyber Incident Coordination
The advent of networked technology has spurred innovation, cultivated knowledge,
encouraged free expression, and increased the Nation’s economic prosperity. However,
the same infrastructure that enables these benefits is vulnerable to malicious activity,
malfunction, human error, and acts of nature, placing the Nation and its people at risk.
Cyber incidents are a fact of contemporary life, and significant cyber incidents are
occurring with increasing frequency, impacting public and private infrastructure located
in the United States and abroad.
United States preparedness efforts have positioned the Nation to manage a broad range of
threats and hazards effectively. Every day, Federal law enforcement and those agencies
responsible for network defense in the United States manage, respond to, and investigate
cyber incidents in order to ensure the security of our information and communications
infrastructure. The private sector and government agencies have a shared vital interest in
protecting the Nation from malicious cyber activity and managing cyber incidents and
their consequences. The nature of cyberspace requires individuals, organizations, and the
government to all play roles in incident response. Furthermore, effective incident
response efforts will help support an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable information
and communications infrastructure that promotes trade and commerce, strengthens
international security, fosters free expression, and reinforces the privacy and security of
our citizens.
While the vast majority of cyber incidents can be handled through existing policies,
certain cyber incidents that have significant impacts on an entity, our national security, or
the broader economy require a unique approach to response efforts. These significant
cyber incidents demand unity of effort within the Federal Government and especially
close coordination between the public and private sectors.
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