Safety in cyberspace continues to be an elusive objective. This essay explores various metaphors to aid thinking about the means by which safety might be increased. Notions such as cyber-fire-departments or cyber-police-departments as well as models drawn from public health scenarios are considered. The legal frameworks in which safety can be improved and international agreements adopted toward this end are briefly discussed. Users can also contribute to their own safety by adopting various practices that reduce vulnerability to cyber-infection and compromise.

Issue Section:
Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons
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© 2011 by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Published under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
2011
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