The Law and Economics of Cybersecurity

Download or read book The Law and Economics of Cybersecurity written by Mark F. Grady and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cybersecurity is an increasing problem for which the market may fail to produce a solution. The ultimate source is that computer owners lack adequate incentives to invest in security because they bear fully the costs of their security precautions but share the benefits with their network partners. In a world of positive transaction costs, individuals often select less than optimal security levels. The problem is compounded because the insecure networks extend far beyond the regulatory jurisdiction of any one nation or even coalition of nations. This book brings together the views of leading law and economics scholars on the nature of the cybersecurity problem and possible solutions to it. Many of these solutions are market based, but they need some help, either from government or industry groups or both. Indeed, the cybersecurity problem prefigures a host of 21st century problems created by information technology and the globalization of markets.