Applying public health strategies to the protection of cyberspace

Modern society has made massive strides in public health that have contributed to the quality of life we enjoy today. However, the current cyberspace health environment is arguably similar to the public health environment that existed in nineteenth century New York City, if not Europe during the Middle Ages. How would the critical infrastructure cope with a pandemic cyberspace infection with the virulence and potency of the Black Death? This paper presents a strategy for cyberspace health that is inspired by constructs and initiatives in the public health domain. The strategy has five components: (i) sanitizing the environment; (ii) controlling community infections; (iii) educating the actors; (iv) organizing detection and prevention services; and (v) creating the social machinery for cyberspace health.