Mission Critical: Are Tech Platforms Critical Infrastructure?
This paper argues that large technology platforms may qualify as critical infrastructure. Assuming this is the case, the author reviews reasonable industry “good practices” for such companies working with the government to formalize this status.
Author: Kiersten E. Todt
Best Practices for Shared Responsibility Among Technology Platforms
This paper argues that large technology platforms have, in effect but informally, become what the U.S. government terms “critical infrastructure.” The author makes the case that with such companies essential to both U.S. economic and national security, they ideally should work closely together plus collaborate with the government to promote security while still maintaining flexibility to support their continued innovation.
One common approach for doing so is termed “shared responsibility.” Existing shared responsibility frameworks and standards for protecting critical infrastructure, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Voluntary Cybersecurity Framework, can serve as a model for these technology platforms. This paper reviews four “good practices” that are tied to these frameworks.