Minerva Working Paper Series

Volume I

Characterizing Cyberspace: Past, Present, and Future.

MIT CSAIL, Version 1.2 of March 12, 2010.
Clark, David.

In general terms, most practitioners share a working concept of cyberspace—it is the collection of computing devices connected by networks in which electronic information is stored and utilized, and communication takes place. Another way to understand the nature of cyberspace is to articulate its purpose, which I will describe as the processing, manipulation and exploitation of information, the facilitation and augmentation of communication among people, and the interaction of people and information. Both information and people are central to the power of cyberspace. If we seek a better understanding of what cyberspace might be, one approach is to identify its salient characteristics: a catalog of its characteristics may be more useful than a list of competing definitions.

Strategic Advantage: Why America Should Care About Cybersecurity.

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, October 2009
Hathaway, Melissa

The internet is an interconnected series of networks--where it is difficult to determine where private security threats end and public ones begin. These networks deliver power and water to our households and businesses, enable us to access our bank accounts from almost any city in the world, and transform the way our doctors provide healthcare. For all of these reasons, we need a safe Internet with a strong network infrastructure. Our nation needs to take prompt action to protect cyberspace for what we use it for today and will need in the future. I believe that we are at a strategic inflection point--and we must band together to understand the situation and ascertain the full extent of the vulnerabilities and interdependencies of this information and communications infrastructure that we depend upon. As I reflect on the situation, one of the key recurring questions is whether we really understand the intersections of our critical assets and networks and how we as entities interface with the communications infrastructure and the energy grid and other critical services that are provided on that backbone of interdependent networks.

Explorations in Cyber International Relations (ECIR) – Data Dashboard Report #1: CERT Data Sources and Prototype Dashboard System.” Working Paper CISL# 2009-07, August 2009
Growing global interconnection and interdependency of computer networks, in combination

Madnick Stuart, Nazli Choucri, Steven Camina, Erik Fogg, Xitong Li and Fan Wei.

with increased sophistication of cyber attacks over time, demonstrate the need for better understanding of the collective and cooperative security measures needed to prevent and respond to cybersecurity emergencies. The Exploring Cyber International Relations (ECIR) Data Dashboard project is an initial effort to gather and analyze such data within and between countries. This report describes the prototype ECIR Data Dashboard and the initial data sources used. In 1988, the United States Department of Defense and Carnegie Mellon University formed the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to lead and coordinate national and international efforts to combat cybsersecurity threats. Since then, the number of CERTs worldwide has grown dramatically, leading to the potential for a sophisticated and coordinated global cybersecurity response network. This report focuses primarily on the current state of the worldwide CERTs, including the data publicly available, the extent of coordination, and the maturity of data management and responses. The report summarizes, analyses, and critiques the worldwide CERT network. Additionally, the report describes the ECIR team's Data Dashboard project, designed to provide scholars, policymakers, IT professionals, and other stakeholders with a comprehensive set of data on national-level cybersecurity, information technology, and demographic data. The Dashboard allows these stakeholders to observe chronological trends and multivariate correlations that can lead to insight into the current state, potential future trends, and approximate causes of global cybersecurity issues. This report summarizes the purpose, state, progress, and challenges of developing the Data Dashboard project.