[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27006-27007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11443]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Toward a Federal Cybersecurity Research Agenda: Three Game-
Changing Themes

AGENCY: The National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and 
Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD), NSF.

ACTION: Notice, request for public comment.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Tomas Vagoun at [email protected] or 
(703) 292-4873. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday.

DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m. EDT on June 18, 2010.
SUMMARY: With this notice, the National Coordination Office for 
Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) 
requests input from the public regarding the Federal cybersecurity 
game-change research and development agenda. This request for 
information will be active from May 19, 2010 to June 18, 2010. 
Respondents are invited to respond online via the Cybersecurity R&D 
Kickoff forum at http://cybersecurity.nitrd.gov/, or may submit 
responses via electronic mail. Electronic mail responses will be re-
posted on the online forum.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by one of the following methods:
    1. Cybersecurity R&D Kickoff forum: http://cybersecurity.nitrd.gov/.
    2. Via e-mail: [email protected].
    3. Mail: National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and 
Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD), 4201 Wilson 
Blvd., Suite II-405, Arlington, VA 22230, attn: Tomas Vagoun.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public online or by alternative means. For this reason, please 
do not include in your comments information of a confidential nature, 
such as sensitive personal information or proprietary information. If 
you submit an e-mail comment, your e-mail address will be captured 
automatically and included as part of the comment that is placed in the 
public docket and made available on the Internet.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Overview: This notice is issued by the National Coordination Office 
for the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development 
(NITRD) Program. In concert with the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, agencies of the NITRD Program have identified three 
initial research and development (R&D) themes to exemplify and motivate 
future Federal cybersecurity game-change research activities: (a) 
Tailored Trustworthy Spaces, (b) Moving Target, (c) Cyber Economic 
Incentives. On Wednesday May 19, 2010, from 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. PDT, 
representatives from the National Science Foundation, the Department of 
Homeland Security, and other agencies, will present the three themes at 
the Claremont Hotel, 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA 94705. This event 
will be webcast. For the event agenda, information about the webcast, 
and additional information, go to: http://www.nitrd.gov/CSThemes.aspx. 
This event will be the first discussion of these Federal cybersecurity 
game-change R&D objectives and will provide insights into the 
priorities that are shaping the direction of Federal research 
activities. Following this event, an on-line forum will be opened at 
http://cybersecurity.nitrd.gov/ to provide an opportunity for comments 
and feedback.

[[Page 27007]]

    Background: With the increased attention to cybersecurity, the 
President's Cyberspace Policy Review challenges the Federal community 
to develop a framework for R&D strategies that focus on game-changing 
technologies that can significantly enhance the trustworthiness of 
cyberspace (by ``cyberspace'' we mean the globally interconnected 
network of information technology infrastructures, including the 
Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded 
processors in critical industries). Achieving enduring trustworthiness 
of the cyberspace requires new paradigms that re-balance security 
asymmetries of today's landscape: The cost of simultaneously satisfying 
all the requirements of an ideal cybersecurity solution in a static 
system is impossibly high, and so we must enable sub-spaces in 
cyberspace to support different security policies and different 
security services for different types of interactions; the cost of 
attack is asymmetric, favoring the attacker, and so defenders must 
increase the cost of attack and must employ methods that enable them to 
continue to operate in the face of attack; the lack of meaningful 
metrics and economically sound decision making in security misallocates 
resources, and so we must promote economic principles that encourage 
the broad use of good cybersecurity practices and deter illicit 
activities. The research agenda will be built by initially focusing on 
the three themes and on enabling component technologies supportive of, 
or required by these themes.
    Invitation to Comment: Input is welcomed to refine these themes so 
that they can form the basis of an enhanced research agenda, enriching 
our understanding of how to design and build a more trustworthy 
cyberspace. Questions that individuals may wish to address include, but 
are not limited to the following:
    1. How might the three themes be refined or enhanced to further 
improve cyberspace?
    2. What are the research, development, implementation and other 
challenges in achieving the goals under each theme?
    3. What state-of-the-art activities and use-cases can be cited in 
support of the three themes?
    4. How would your organization's future vision support or 
incorporate the three themes?
    5. Should there be a private sector organization to act as a 
partner to the public sector in a continuing game-change process?
    Relevant input received through this request will be shared with 
the Federal agencies of the NITRD Program.
    Submitted by the National Science Foundation for the National 
Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and Information Technology 
Research and Development (NITRD).

    Dated: May 10, 2010.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2010-11443 Filed 5-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P