Confronting Reality in Cyberspace: Foreign Policy for a Fragmented Internet

The early advantages the United States and its allies held in cyberspace have largely disappeared as the internet has become increasingly fragmented, more dangerous, and less free. China and Russia in particular are working to export their authoritarian models of the internet around the world. While freedom on the internet declines, threats in cyberspace grow. Cybercrime and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure have cost billions of dollars worldwide and disrupted thousands of lives. And while the U.S. response has focused on domestic policy and resilience, more attention should be paid to rethinking a vision of foreign policy for cyberspace. Confronting Reality in Cyberspace: Foreign Policy for a Fragmented Internet outlines a strategy founded on three pillars: building a trusted internet coalition, employing more targeted pressure on adversaries and establishing pragmatic cyber norms, and getting the U.S. house in order.

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