The United States reserves the right to respond militarily to a cyber attack, says a White House  international cyberspace strategy unveiled May 16.

The strategy, which covers issues including the free flow of information, foreign assistance and cybercrime, also says that the United States will seek to dissuade and deter cyber attacks "with all necessary means," including military ones.

Toward the end of stability in cyberspace, the policy outlines an goal of establishing "an environment of expectations" of normative of behavior in cyberspace and establishing grater international cooperation against disruptive elements. The latter will take the form of assisting in the development of cybersecurity capacity in other countries, as well as increased information sharing, the strategy states.

Incident response "cannot be fully addressed by any single nation or sector alone; it is a responsibility and duty that every nation, and its people, all share," it says.

Assisting other countries in building up their capacity for cybersecurity is "an investment, a commitment, and an important opportunity for dialogue and partnership," the strategy states.

During a White House event to announce the strategy, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn emphasized information sharing. "Just as our air defenses are linked with those of our allies to provide warning of airborne attack, so too must we share information to prevent and, if necessary, respond to cyber intrusions," he said.

For more:
- download the White House international strategy for cyberspace (.pdf)
- download a White House fact sheet on the strategy (.pdf)
- read remarks by William Lynn about the strategy

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