With incidence of severe cybersecurity breaches increasing, govenment and business leaders are forced to re-evaluate control computer systems and heighten defences against hackers, writes Robert O'Harrow Jr. in the Washington Post.

Government and business leaders in the United States and around the world are rushing to build better defenses -- and to prepare for the coming battles in the digital universe, writes Robert O'Harrow Jr. at the Washington Post. To succeed, they must understand one of the most complex, man-made environments on Earth: cyberspace.

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Draft Resolution 20/7: Promotion of Activities Relating to Combating Cybercrime, Including Technical Assistance and Capacity-building was adopted in April 2011.

The Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems, was adopted in Strasbourg, France on January 28, 2003.

This Congressional Research Service report compiles hearings, legislation, data, and other reports on cybersecurity.

Adam Segal says that rather than just defacing websites, Anonymous should target five specific Chinese websites to obtain real secrets.

This report discusses selected legal issues that frequently arise in the context of recent legislation to address vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyber threats.

Richard Clarke, former special adviser to the president for cybersecurity, says the proposed cybersecurity bill would not do much to stop Chinese cyber espionage. He suggests that the Obama administration act to stop the threat.

UN General Assembly Resolution 57/239 regarding the "creation of a global culture of cybersecurity" was adopted on January 31, 2003.

The Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime was opened for signature on November 23, 2001

The White House released this multinational statement on nuclear information security on March 27, 2012 during the U.S.' participation in the nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea.

Foreign Policy's Thomas Rid writes that we shouldn't fear the digital bogeyman--virtual conflict is still more hype than reality.

How can the United States protect "cyberspace as a national asset," without restricting "the free and open nature of the Internet"? What should countries consider when developing international cybersecurity standards and protocol? What should their citizens know to protect their information and their rights? Cybersecurity Policy Research Links provide news, background information, legislation, analysis, and international efforts to protect government and the public's information.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (S. 2105) was introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman in the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2012.

The summary states, "Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with owners and operators of critical infrastructure, the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, and other federal agencies and private sector entities, to: (1) to conduct a top-level assessment of cybersecurity risks to determine which sectors face the greatest immediate risk, and beginning with the sectors identified as having the highest priority, conduct, on a sector-by-sector basis, cyber risk assessments of the critical infrastructure; (2) establish a procedure for the designation of critical infrastructure; (3) identify or develop risk-based cybersecurity performance requirements; and (4) implement cyber response and restoration plans. Sets forth requirements for securing critical infrastructure, including notification of cyber risks and threats and reporting of significant cyber incidents affecting critical infrastructure."

In March 2011, the U.S. computer security company RSA announced that hackers had gained access to security tokens it produces that let millions of government and private-sector employees, including those of defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, connect remotely to their office computers.

Most critical information systems in the United States are operated by the private sector and remain vulnerable to cyber attacks. Newly proposed legislation would require businesses to meet minimum standards of protection, but has raised concerns about regulatory overreach.

The Congressional Research Service reports that for more than a decade, various experts have expressed increasing concerns about cybersecurity in light of the growing frequency, impact, and sophistication of attacks on information systems in the United States and abroad. Consensus has also been building that the current legislative framework for cybersecurity might need to be revised.

The Congressional Research Service looks at some of issues surrounding America's critical infrastructure, identifying critical assets, assessing vulnerabilities and risks, and appraising policies.

Adam Segal says Chinese hacking is not going away soon, and with no international consensus on cyber standards, companies need to do a better job of protecting intellectual property and trade secrets.

Richard A. Falkenrath says changes to national privacy law are essential to protect personal privacy in the age of pervasive social media and cloud computing--and Google's new privacy policy points even more firmly to the need for a right to be forgotten.