This week, Ethan Cook, N2K lead analyst and editor of the Caveat newsletter joins Dave and Ben with a rapid-fire download from Public Sector Ignite — from CISA’s strategic pivot to the evolving threat landscape across China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. He teases major takeaways on quantum risk and the ticking clock to “Q-Day,” why telecoms remain a soft underbelly, and how AI is turbocharging both defenders and attackers.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

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Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers Europe’s unexpected shift toward loosening its once-aggressive tech rules, as policymakers move to simplify GDPR, delay parts of the A.I. Act, and ease data-use restrictions to boost competitiveness. The move signals a major tone change in Brussels, raising questions about whether scaling back oversight will spark innovation — or weaken one of the world’s strongest digital privacy regimes. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Please enjoy this encore of Caveat.

This week, we are joined by ⁠Max Shier⁠, ⁠Optiv⁠'s CISO, to discuss the newly-released CMMC 2.0, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, and how to ensure compliance. Ben discusses a federal court’s decision holding warrantless queries of the Section 702 database unconstitutional. Dave looks at a murder case in Cleveland that’s been derailed by the prosecution’s use of AI.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Please take a moment to fill out an ⁠audience survey⁠! Let us know how we are doing!

Links to the stories:

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Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠N2K Pro⁠ members on ⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week’s ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ covers the story of President Trump revoking a 2023 executive order by Joe Biden that mandated AI developers to share safety test results for high-risk systems with the U.S. government before public release, citing it as a hindrance to innovation. While Biden’s order aimed to address national security and public safety risks associated with AI, Trump left intact a separate Biden order supporting energy needs for AI data centers. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠Caveat Briefing⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠[email protected]⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Today we are joined by Dr. Sasha O'Connell, Senior Director for Cybersecurity Programs at Aspen Digital, discussing "10 Years of Cybersecurity Progress & What Comes Next." Ben talks about a couple of instances of AI companies reigning in their chatbots. Dave's got the story of ICE’s controversial facial recognition operations.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.

Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers This week’s briefing covers federal agencies considering a ban on TP-Link routers over national security concerns, Getty Images losing most of its UK lawsuit against Stability AI in a setback for copyright protections, and other global developments including Microsoft’s AI investments in the UAE, new EU efforts to counter hybrid threats, Meta’s rejection of a French watchdog ruling, and a new US-UAE agreement on AI and energy collaboration. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Next week, California will hold a major election on Tuesday, November 4, amid heightened cyber risk and increased exposure to potential attacks. With the ongoing government shutdown and reduced grant funding for local counties overseeing the elections, vulnerabilities are growing. Sanny Liao, Co-Founder and CTO of Fable Security, joins to discuss the biggest cyber threats to this election, how attackers could exploit phishing or other tactics to gain access, and where counties should focus training to detect and prevent malicious activity.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.

Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers the U.S. Department of Energy’s $1 billion partnership with AMD to build two supercomputers, Lux and Discovery, aimed at fusion energy, cancer research, and national security. Lux, using AMD’s MI355X AI chips, will come online in six months and deliver three times the AI capacity of current supercomputers. Discovery, built with AMD’s MI430 chips, is expected to be operational by 2029, highlighting a major DOE-private industry collaboration to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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On this episode, host Kim Jones is joined by Ethan Cook, N2K’s lead analyst and editor, for a deeper, more reflective conversation on cybersecurity regulation, privacy, and the future of policy. This episode steps back from the news cycle to connect the dots and explore where the regulatory landscape is heading — and why it matters.

Ethan, who will join the show regularly this season to provide big-picture analysis after major policy conversations, shares his perspective on the evolving balance between government oversight, innovation, and individual responsibility.

This episode of N2K Pro's CISO Perspectives podcast is brought to you by our sponsor, Meter. Meter provides a full-stack, enterprise-grade networking solution—wired, wireless, and cellular—designed, deployed, and managed end-to-end. From hardware to software, ISP to security, Meter delivers seamless, secure, and scalable connectivity for modern business environments. Learn more about Meter.

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This week on Caveat, Dave and Ben welcome back N2K’s own ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ethan Cook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our latest policy deep dive segment. As our lead analyst, Ethan shares his knowledge of law, privacy, and surveillance on the latest policy developments shaping the cybersecurity and legal landscape.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Policy Deep Dive

In this Caveat Policy Deep Dive, our conversation and analysis revolve around North Korean hacking. Throughout this conversation, we break down how North Korea has transformed itself into one of the largest nation-state hackers today. We dive into what types of attacks they perform, how they have evolved these attacks over time, and how they use their ill-gotten gains to support their economy and evade sanctions.

Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.

Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers major developments in cybersecurity and digital policy, including a US court permanently barring NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp while reducing damages from $167.3 million to $4 million, highlighting growing oversight against spyware abuse. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Regulation is a double-edged sword. While it helps create structure, establish accountability, and set standards, it also creates unnecessary hurdles, slower response times, and overly rigid systems. With every administration, policy goals and subsequently regulatory stances change, which can have major impacts on business operations.

In this episode of CISO Perspectives, host ⁠Kim Jones⁠ sits down with Ben Yelin, from the University of Maryland Center for Cyber Health and Hazard Strategies, to discuss the current state of regulation. Throughout the conversation, Ben and Kim discuss how the current administration views regulations and the future role of the federal government.

This episode of N2K Pro's CISO Perspectives podcast is brought to you by our sponsor, Meter. Meter provides a full-stack, enterprise-grade networking solution—wired, wireless, and cellular—designed, deployed, and managed end-to-end. From hardware to software, ISP to security, Meter delivers seamless, secure, and scalable connectivity for modern business environments. Learn more about ⁠Meter⁠.

Want more CISO Perspectives?

Check out a companion ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ by our very own Ethan Cook, where he breaks down key insights, shares behind-the-scenes context, and highlights research that complements this episode.

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This week, while Dave is on vacation, Ben Yelin, and Ethan Cook, N2K's Lead Analyst and editor of the Caveat newsletter, take the lead and share their stories. Ben's story is on the legal and ethical issues surrounding Sora, the tool being used to make AI-powered videos of deceased celebrities. Ethan covers the story about Taiwan’s security bureau releasing a new report detailing recent Chinese hacking efforts and how they compare to the past years.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Links to today's stories:

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Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers California's Governor, Gavin Newsom vetoing and signing different AI-related bills, including AI chatbot restrictions for kids. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Will Daugherty, US Head of Norton Rose Fulbright's Cybersecurity practice, discussing the upcoming expiration of CISA 2015. Ben discusses Apple’s decision to remove the ICEBlock app after pressure from the White House. Dave's got the story of the Secretary of Defense dialing back cyber training fro troops.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Links to today's stories:

⁠Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.

Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China’s covert influence campaign in the Philippines, where a Beijing-funded marketing firm used fake social media accounts to amplify pro-China narratives, attack U.S. alliances, and spread disinformation. The operation aimed to sway public opinion, undermine democratic discourse, and shape the country’s political landscape ahead of future elections. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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Sarah Graham from the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative (CSI) discussing their work and findings on "Mythical Beasts: Diving into the depths of the global spyware market." Ben has the story of law enforcement agencies increasingly relying on AI to synthesize digital evidence. Dave's got the story of the Secretary of Commerce pressuring Taiwan over ship manufacturing.  

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Links to today's stories:

⁠Get the weekly Caveat Briefing delivered to your inbox.

Like what you heard? Be sure to check out and subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a weekly newsletter available exclusively to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ members on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K CyberWire's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website. N2K Pro members receive our Thursday wrap-up covering the latest in privacy, policy, and research news, including incidents, techniques, compliance, trends, and more.

This week's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ covers ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠how all EU member states have joined a Dutch-led "Semicon Coalition" calling for a revamped "Chips Act 2.0" focused on securing critical semiconductor technologies, speeding approvals, and expanding skills and funding. Backed by over 50 major companies, the group argues the EU must shift beyond its 20% market-share goal—now seen as unattainable—to strengthen its position in a global chip sector where Europe is projected to hold just 11.7% by 2030. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Curious about the details? Head over to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Caveat Briefing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the full scoop and additional compelling stories.

Got a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Hope to hear from you.

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