The increasing dependency upon information technology (IT) systems and networked operations pervades nearly every aspect

of our society. In particular, increasing computer interconnectivity most notably growth in the use of the Internethas revolutionized the way that our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. While bringing significant benefits, this dependency can also create vulnerabilities to cyber-based threats. Pervasive and sustained cyber attacks against the United States could have a potentially devastating impact on federal and nonfederal systems and operations. In January 2012, the Director of National Intelligence testified that such threats pose a critical national and economic security concern.1 These growing and evolving threats can potentially affect all segments of our societyindividuals; private businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and other entities. Underscoring the importance of this issue, we have designated federal information security as a high-risk area since 1997 and in 2003 expanded this area to include protecting computerized systems supporting our nations critical infrastructure.2