In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo explores the evolving landscape of cyber insurance with Matt McCabe. McCabe shares the history, current state, and future challenges of cyber insurance, emphasizing its critical role in national resilience against cyber threats. The discussion covers the fundamental coverage aspects of cyber insurance, the impact of ransomware, and the need for a federal backstop for catastrophic cyber incidents. McCabe also touches on the importance of collaboratio...
Jul 17, 2024•21 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo sits down with Sue Gordon, a distinguished figure in the intelligence community. The discussion delves into her vast experiences, particularly focusing on the intersection of intelligence, national security, and cyber threats. Sue shares insights on the importance of public-private partnerships in cybersecurity, the evolving threat landscape, and the critical role of technology and innovation in maintaining national security. She also touches on the...
Jul 10, 2024•47 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Tanel Sepp, Estonia’s Ambassador at Large for Cyber Diplomacy. They explore how Estonia emerged as a cyber superpower despite its small size, the significance of the Tallinn Mechanism in cyber defense, and the evolving role of cyber in warfare. Tanel shares personal insights from his extensive diplomatic career and discusses the lessons learned from Estonia’s experiences and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Main Topics: Estonia’s...
Jun 26, 2024•33 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode Frank Cilluffo engages with two distinguished former intelligence officials, Teresa Shea and Glenn Gaffney, to dissect the multifaceted world of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of cybersecurity and intelligence gathering. They delve into the definitions, applications, and implications of AI, focusing on its role in enhancing security measures against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Main Topics Definitions and distinctions between General AI, Generative AI, and...
Jun 19, 2024•56 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Episode Overview In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo engages with Todd Conklin, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber at the Department of Treasury. They delve into recent advancements and initiatives the Treasury has been involved in, focusing on the integration of AI and cybersecurity within financial services. The conversation highlights the strategic efforts being made to bolster security measures, manage risks, and harness the pot...
Jun 12, 2024•39 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Today Frank Cilluffo sits down with Christopher Porter, former National Intelligence Officer for cyber matters and current executive at Google. They delve into the complexities of cybersecurity during government transitions, the critical role of intelligence briefings, and the impact of emerging technologies on national security. Drawing from his extensive background in both public and private sectors, Christopher provides insightful commentary on the evolving threats and the necessity of transl...
Jun 05, 2024•46 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo hosts Steve Kelly, Chief Trust Officer at the Institute for Security and Technology. With a rich background that includes roles at the National Security Council and the FBI, Steve shares his deep insights into the cybersecurity landscape. The discussion covers the expanding attack surface due to emerging technologies, the convergence of physical and cyber domains, and the critical importance of trust and security in today's digital world. Main Topic...
May 29, 2024•45 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo engages in an insightful discussion with Michael Daniel, President of the Cyber Threat Alliance, former Cybersecurity Coordinator for President Obama, and McCrary Institute Senior Fellow. They delve into the intricacies of cybersecurity policy, the evolution of cybercrime as an industry, and the importance of operational collaboration between the public and private sectors. Michael shares his journey into the cybersecurity realm, offers his exp...
May 22, 2024•52 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Phil Venables, Chief Information Security Officer for Google Cloud. They discuss Venables' work co-leading the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's report on cyber-physical resilience, and its key recommendations including creating a national critical infrastructure observatory. The conversation also covers Google's focus on secure-by-design and secure-by-default, the implications of AI/generative AI for cy...
May 15, 2024•24 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Cyber Focus Frank Cilluffo and Matt Hayden discuss the intricate challenges posed by cyber threats and the role of organizations like CISA in coordinating defense efforts. They discuss the influence of emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing, the impact of emerging technologies on defenses, and the zero trust security model to enhance resilience. Main Topics Covered Critical infrastructure threats and vulnerabilities Living off the land techniques used by attack...
May 13, 2024•24 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Flashpoint CEO Josh Lefkowitz joins us for a fascinating talk about how 9/11 changed the trajectory of his career, the impact of Telegram worldwide and how A.I. is making human analysts better.
May 10, 2024•24 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast On location at the RSA Conference 2024, we talk to Alison King and Elisa Costante about the National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, the 2024 Report on Cybersecurity Posture of the United States, and creating opportunities for women in cyber.
May 09, 2024•18 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode Frank Cilluffo sits down with Anjana Rajan, the assistant national cyber director for technology security at the Office of the National Cyber Director in the White House. Their discussion sheds light on the challenges and complexities of reshaping the cybersecurity landscape with better buildings blocks. Together, they the White House's call for broader use of memory safe programming languages, and how her office is working with the private sector to find ways to eliminate entire...
May 08, 2024•46 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Gavin Wilde helped create the formal U.S. assessment of Russia's foreign influence campaigns in 2016 and 2020. Now a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he's asking whether the drive to thwart those efforts in damaging our democracy. In today's episode, Gavin shares with Frank Cilluffo why he is pushing back on assumptions about those campaigns, and the real dangers of believing they are effective. https://tnsr.org/2024/03/from-panic-to-policy-the-limits-of-foreign-p...
May 01, 2024•50 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently updated its widely used Cybersecurity Framework. Cheri Pascoe, Director of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE), joins us for this episode to talk about the new 2.0 edition of the framework, and why it's better equipped to respond to the current challenges cybersecurity professionals face. Find the CSF 2.0 here....
Apr 24, 2024•37 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast As an investigative cyber reporter for Reuters, Chris Bing spends his days uncovering the facts behind the world's biggest cyber stories. In this episode he shares with Frank what it's like to break news on cyber criminal activities, including the ransomware attack on Change Healthcare wrecking havoc on the industry's payment processes. Chris also shares insights into how governments are cracking down. https://www.reuters.com/authors/christopher-bing/
Apr 17, 2024•42 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast On this week's Cyber focus, Frank Cilluffo interviews Mark Montgomery, the Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. They address the commission's history and role in shaping U.S. cybersecurity policies. They also outline unfinished business in the field, and explore the challenges posed by China and TikTok.
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast As Director General of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, Yigal Unna oversaw every aspect of Israel's cyber defenses. In this episode he shares with Frank what he thinks of the international threat landscape, the growth of private cyber defense start-ups, and his advice for a restructured approach to U.S. cyber organizations.
Apr 03, 2024•53 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast As the former Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) Bill Evanina led the U.S. efforts to block and disrupt foreign espionage from advisories like China. On this week’s episode, he shares insights into the shape of those operations, and what should be happening now to stay ahead of the actions China is taking now.
Mar 27, 2024•48 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast On this week's episode, Chris Krebs shares insights into the current highs and lows of the cybersecurity world. He looks back on his years of public service, the performance of those that followed him after his departure from CISA in 2020, and gives advice to those managing risks inside the private sector.
Mar 20, 2024•57 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast George Barnes worked inside the National Security Agency for 35 years. Before retiring last year, he served as the agency's Deputy Director and most senior civilian leader. In this week's episode, George shares what led the NSA to leave behind the complete secrecy of the past, and embrace a more open posture with the American people. He also lays out his vision for improving the country's cyber security.
Mar 13, 2024•53 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of CrowdStrike and Silverado Policy Accelerator, and the Washington Post's Ellen Nakashima join Frank Cilluffo for an engaging discussion of how to keep cyber threats in the proper global perspective. They both share insights into the current conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the potential for future conflict over Taiwan.
Mar 06, 2024•45 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, host Frank Cilluffo talks with Mike D'Ambrosio of the unexpected ways the Secret Service shapes how the U.S. fights against cybercrime.
Feb 28, 2024•50 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Cyber Focus is where we explore the people and ideas shaping and protecting our digital world. In this episode host Frank Cilluffo speaks with Tom Fanning, the now retired CEO of The Southern Company. The two discuss the best ways private businesses need to approve their digital security, and why company leaders are too often missing the mark.
Feb 21, 2024•52 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode Frank Cilluffo speaks with Politico's Maggie Miller, about her recent reporting on China, and Iran. Maggie's recent reporting: On Chinese threats to Guam On threats to US critical water utilities On telecom connectivity in Gaza On breaches at the State Department...
Feb 20, 2024•28 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Cyber Focus is where we explore the people and ideas shaping and protecting our digital world. In this episode host Frank Cilluffo talks with Melissa Hathaway, a former presidential advisor, and leading voice on US cyber policy. She shares the ways she believes the country has lost ground in its pursuit of cybersecurity, and what steps need to be taken to get back on track.
Feb 14, 2024•54 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast On Cyber Focus we explore the people and ideas shaping and protecting our digital world. In this episode host Frank Cilluffo talks with CNN reporter Sean Lyngaas about how he started covering cybersecurity, what those experiences have taught him, and what group has become one of the most underestimated threats in the world. Sean's recent work: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/02/politics/illicit-iranian-programs-targeted-us-measures/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/31/politics/china-hacking-inf...
Feb 07, 2024•46 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Host Frank Cilluffo speaks with Chris Inglis, who just finished serving as the country's first National Cyber Director. They discuss the current challenges confronting the US in today's cybersecurity landscape and explore new obstacles emerging with the rise of AI. Show Notes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politi... https://www.barrons.com/articles/ai-r... https://thehill.com/opinion/cybersecu... https://mccrary.auburn.edu/events/sol......
Jan 31, 2024•57 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Cyber Focus is the new podcast from The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Infrastructure Security. The institute seeks practical solutions to real-world problems, underpinned by research and scholarship. Led by host Frank Cillufo, each week Cyber Focus will be the place to hear from the leading voices in cybersecurity, and discover what challenges they believe the country must address to ensure a safe and secure future. Subcribe now, and join us again for our first episode on January 31st....
Jan 25, 2024•24 sec•Transcript available on Metacast 
