Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0

The original Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) was established by the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 to develop a strategic approach to defending the United States in cyberspace. Co-chaired by Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the Commission released its main report in March 2020, offering more than 80 recommendations organized around a strategy of "layered cyber deterrence."

After the Commission's statutory mandate wound down, its work was continued under the banner Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0 (CSC 2.0), housed at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). CSC 2.0 is not a federal body; it is a non-governmental continuation staffed largely by former CSC commissioners, staff, and outside experts. Its purpose is to:

• Track implementation of the original Commission's recommendations, publishing annual progress reports that score which proposals have been enacted, partially adopted, or stalled.
• Issue follow-on white papers on emerging issues such as workforce development, cloud security, operational technology, systemically important entities, and the role of the Office of the National Cyber Director.
• Advise Congress and the executive branch through testimony, briefings, and legislative drafting support.

Key legacies of the original Commission that CSC 2.0 continues to monitor include the creation of the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), codification of CISA authorities, and the concept of Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure (SICI). Several CSC recommendations were incorporated into subsequent NDAAs between 2021 and 2023.

For MUN delegates and researchers, CSC 2.0 is a useful open-source reference point for U.S. cyber policy positions, though it is an advocacy and analysis project rather than an official government commission. Its annual implementation reports are typically cited as "CSC 2.0 Annual Report on Implementation."