Just as the Internet has changed virtually every aspect of how people worldwide live, learn, consume and communicate, connection technologies are changing the strategic context for diplomacy in the 21st century.

– Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

For Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, modernizing U.S. diplomacy is a strategic imperative. The widespread diffusion of technologies such as broadband Internet, social media and mobile phones requires updating our policies and practices. Connection technologies now increase our impact across the range of diplomatic activities, from public diplomacy to commercial outreach, from disaster response to democracy promotion.

Supporting U.S. Values

Building on “The White House International Strategy for Cyberspace,” the State Department is promoting policies that support our values and objectives in cyberspace:

• Internet Freedom: The free flow of information online empowers individuals and strengthens societies, but some governments censor and use surveillance to chill free expression and arrest dissidents merely for the opinions they express. In addition to promoting Internet freedom globally, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) financially support human rights activists in this area.
• Internet Governance: Preserving an open, free, and secure Internet requires a stable and effective system of Internet governance. We are committed to the decentralized, “multi-stakeholder” model that includes governments, businesses, academia, and civil society. This has proven capable of solving technical and policy problems to address issues, such as data privacy and protection, intellectual property and taxation. MORE

About the Author: Chris Painter serves as Coordinator for Cyber Issues at the Department of State.

I’m very excited to be en route to Nairobi for the East Africa Workshop on Cyberspace Security from Monday to Wednesday next week. Terrific government, academic, and private sector experts from the United States and East Africa will be leading workshop discussions over three days. Our co-host, the Government of Kenya, has been a great partner in the lead-up to this conference, and I especially want to thank Minister Poghisio and Permanent Secretary Ndemo for their leadership.

Cyberspace security is a foreign policy priority for the United States. As Secretary Clinton mentioned at the recent release of President Obama’s International Strategy for Cyberspace, the Internet is a global network, and we believe that each country must have the means to protect its digital infrastructure. In addition, the United States seeks to build close partnerships with countries who share… more »

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the release of the Obama Administration’s International Strategy for Cyberspace at the White House on May 16, 2011.