My fellow Americans:
Protecting America’s national security and promoting the prosperity of the American people
are my top priorities. Ensuring the security of cyberspace is fundamental to both endeavors.
Cyberspace is an integral component of all facets of American life, including our economy and
defense. Yet, our private and public entities still struggle to secure their systems, and adver-
saries have increased the frequency and sophistication of their malicious cyber activities.
America created the Internet and shared it with the world. Now, we must make sure to secure
and preserve cyberspace for future generations.
In the last 18 months, my Administration has taken action to address cyber threats. We have
sanctioned malign cyber actors. We have indicted those that committed cybercrimes. We
have publicly attributed malicious activity to the adversaries responsible and released details
about the tools they employed. We have required departments and agencies to remove
sofware vulnerable to various security risks. We have taken action to hold department and
agency heads accountable for managing cybersecurity risks to the systems they control, while
empowering them to provide adequate security. In addition, last year, I signed Executive Order
13800,
Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure
. The work
performed and reports created in response to that Executive Order laid the groundwork for this
National Cyber Strategy.
With the release of this National Cyber Strategy, the United States now has its frst fully articu-
lated cyber strategy in 15 years. This strategy explains how my Administration will:
Defend the homeland by protecting networks, systems, functions, and data;
Promote American prosperity by nurturing a secure, thriving digital economy and fostering
strong domestic innovation;
Preserve peace and security by strengthening the ability of the United States — in concert
with allies and partners — to deter and, if necessary, punish those who use cyber tools for
malicious purposes; and
Expand American infuence abroad to extend the key tenets of an open, interoperable,
reliable, and secure Internet.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON, DC
I
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
September 2018
II
The National Cyber Strategy demonstrates my commitment to strengthening America’s
cybersecurity capabilities and securing America from cyber threats. It is a call to action for all
Americans and our great companies to take the necessary steps to enhance our national cyber-
security. We will continue to lead the world in securing a prosperous cyber future.
Sincerely,