THE BACKGROUND OF U.S. DECISION TO INCREASE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CYBERSECURITY ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Abstract
It can be perceived that past globalization was characterized by the falling trade barriers that enabled the freer movement of people, goods and services as well as capitals. However, in today’s era globalization has been perceived as something wider since the involvement of technology such as internet and network system have been influenced much of aspects in our life including the management of critical infrastructure by the government. The new dilemma was emerged as the management of critical infrastructure that used the internet and network systems was like two sides of coin which in one hand can facilitate a state to conduct a more efficient and less costly management effort while at the same time it required a maximum protection in security both physically and in cyber aspects. This is in fact has been becoming a growing concern for many states including United States of America. It was proven by the attempt of U.S. government under Obama administration that tried to increase the effort in increasing its cybersecurity through the increasing budget in FISMA and IT Spending as well as the establishment and strengthening effort of several cybersecurity related agencies particularly in critical infrastructure sectors.
The objective of this research is to analyze the international and domestic factors that influenced U.S. decision to increase its cybersecurity in critical infrastructure aspects based on Easton’s theory of decision-making process. Furthermore, in order to execute this research, the writer was using qualitative method by using secondary data taken from sources such as books, journal articles, government publications and other literatures sources.
This research then revealed several findings that proved the existence of international and domestic factors that influenced U.S. in increasing its critical infrastructure cybersecurity. In international factors, cyberattack that was experienced directly by U.S. and lesson learnt from other state experience were a focal considerations for U.S. in this extent. Meanwhile the domestic factors were mainly shaped in form of demand and supports from U.S. statehood especially society such as interest groups, academic scholars and the political elites.