A Relationship on the Rocks: Industry-Government Partnership for Cyber Defense

Cyber security is a complex issue that requires a smart, balancedapproach to public-private partnership. However, there is not a simplegold standard or mandatory minimum standard of cyber security, whichcan cause friction in the relationship between government and privateindustry. There are fundamental differences in these two unevenly yokedpartners: government\u27s fundamental role under the U.S. Constitution is toprovide for the common defense; industry\u27s role, backed by nearly a hundredyears of case law, is to maximize shareholder value. Further differencesare that government partners and industry players often assess riskdifferently, based on their differing missions and objectives. To be successful,both government and industry need to remain committed to therelationship and continue working on it by understanding the complexityof the situation, adapting where appropriate to their partner\u27s perspective.For the public-private partnership to endure and grow, an appreciationof these differing perspectives—born from different legally mandatedresponsibilities—must be reached. Ultimately, the government shouldcompensate private entities for making investments that align with thegovernment\u27s perspective, such as the social contract, rather than mandatingthat the shareholders subsidize the government function of providingfor the common defense