In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Mark Green, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Congressman Green, a combat veteran and healthcare entrepreneur, discusses key cybersecurity challenges, including workforce shortages, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and economic models that incentivize cybercrime. The conversation highlights the importance of initiatives like the Cyber Pivot Act, designed to address critical workforce gaps, and the need for harmonizing regulatory requirements. Green also explores strategies for protecting critical infrastructure, enhancing state-level cybersecurity, and leveraging public-private partnerships to bolster national resilience.

Main Topics Covered:

• Addressing the cybersecurity workforce gap through the Cyber Pivot Act
• Harmonizing federal regulations to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies
• Strengthening cybersecurity for critical infrastructure at all levels of government
• Tackling economic incentives that enable cybercrime and vulnerabilities
• Advancing public-private partnerships and state-level cybersecurity initiatives

Key Quotes: "We have a 500,000 person shortage in cybersecurity jobs in this in this country, empty spaces with nobody to put in them." - Mark Green "If a company is spending more time complying than they are actually securing themselves, then... government is doing harm." - Mark Green "I have a strong belief that we have to as a country own the fact that these businesses can't protect themselves against nation states. And we have an obligation." - Mark Green "At the end of the day, the first to respond and the last to leave in a local incident are still going to be at [the] state level." - Frank Cilluffo "We've got to figure out as a country how to put pressure on people, to enforce laws, to extradite when someone breaks our laws." - Mark Green Relevant Links: https://homeland.house.gov/2024/09/24/chairman-green-introduces-cyber-pivott-act-to-tackle-government-cyber-workforce-shortage-create-pathways-for-10000-new-professionals/ Guest Bio:

Mark Green is the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, where he spearheads efforts to address cybersecurity, border security, and national resilience. A West Point graduate, Green served as a combat veteran and special operations physician in the Army’s renowned 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. After his military service, he became a successful entrepreneur in the healthcare sector. Green has brought his leadership skills to Congress, focusing on critical issues like cybersecurity workforce development, regulatory harmonization, and protecting critical infrastructure. He is also the author of We Before Me, a book reflecting his philosophy of putting collective success above individual gain.

Overview: In this episode, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Cheri Caddy, former Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House and senior technical advisor at the Department of Energy. They discuss the cybersecurity challenges surrounding connected vehicles, examining how modern cars are effectively "computers on wheels" and the broader implications for privacy, data security, and national security. Cheri highlights the convergence of IT and OT systems in vehicles, the need for cyber-informed engineering, and the importance of regulatory harmonization in addressing these challenges.

Main Topics Covered:

• Convergence of IT/OT systems in connected vehicles
• Cybersecurity and privacy risks of modern cars
• Global supply chain implications for vehicle data security
• Regulatory harmonization across sectors impacting connected vehicles
• Future of automation and autonomous vehicles in the cybersecurity landscape
• Managing cybersecurity at an enterprise level for government and corporate vehicle fleets

Key Quotes: "Your car has always been something in your environment, but now it's a computer. It's software-defined, and you have to treat it with all of the cyber implications of being a computer." – Cheri Caddy "There's no cyber problem that's a single sector anymore." – Cheri Caddy "Vehicles are giant sensor platforms recording everything. What are the security implications of taking a connected vehicle on to a sensitive facility? ...I think that is very much an open question.– Cheri Caddy "We need to get [vehicle engineers] to think about cybersecurity at the design phase. Because dealing with bolting on cyber after the fact is, is just not practical.– Cheri Caddy This is just such an interesting area of converging, of all of the exciting cyber things, from supply chain to applied machine learning to data standards and integration. – Cheri Caddy Relevant Links: National Cyber Informed Engineering Strategy Information on vehicle data privacy and cybersecurity from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

• https://www.nhtsa.gov/research/vehicle-cybersecurity
• https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-updates-cybersecurity-best-practices-new-vehicles

Guest Bio: Cheri Caddy is a cybersecurity leader with over 30 years of experience in national security, intelligence, and technical advisory roles. She has served as the Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House, as well as a senior advisor at the Department of Energy. Caddy's expertise lies in bridging policy and technical innovation, particularly in IT/OT convergence and secure-by-design engineering for critical infrastructure.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Kiersten Todt, president of Wondros, a creative firm focused on social and policy change. Todt, who previously served as Chief of Staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and as a senior advisor on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, shares insights on the challenges and advancements in cybersecurity workforce development, public-private collaboration, and the critical role of community involvement in cybersecurity initiatives.

Main Topics Covered:

• Cybersecurity workforce development, with a focus on neurodiversity and inclusivity
• Public-private partnerships and CISA's role in regional engagement
• The importance of community-level cybersecurity initiatives
• Cybersecurity supply chain issues and the need for inclusive small business support
• Cybersecurity awareness through campaigns, education, and human-centered design

Key Quotes: "I think we as a nation will be so much better if we create inclusive workforces that represent and acknowledge and honor the aptitudes of individuals that we may not define as being... typical." – Kiersten Todt "If we're truly looking at securing [critical infrastructure sectors], we have to look with a cross-sector approach." – Kiersten Todt "[Cyber incident response] starts in the community, it starts at the local level. And so being able to engage those individuals is critical." – Kiersten Todt "The applied side is what attracts most of these kids [to cybersecurity]. It's not sitting behind a computer and just the zeros and ones. It's actually seeing the fruit of their work and actually getting involved." - Frank Cilluffo "Creating more of an activist culture in cybersecurity, as well as some of these other issues, really helps to turn the tide and to create change." – Kiersten Todt

Relevant Links and Resources:

• https://pausetake9.org/
• https://cyberreadinessinstitute.org/
• https://wondros.com/about/

Guest Bio: Kiersten Todt is the president of Wondros, a firm dedicated to social and policy change. She previously served as Chief of Staff at CISA and has held senior advisory roles on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Her work focuses on building inclusive cybersecurity solutions, workforce development, and fostering partnerships across public and private sectors.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Patrick Wright, the Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Privacy Officer for the State of Nebraska. The discussion centers around the challenges and opportunities of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity strategies at the state and local levels. Patrick shares insights on leveraging AI to bolster cybersecurity, managing privacy implications, and building strategic public-private partnerships. The conversation also highlights initiatives like Cyber Tatanka, a unique cybersecurity exercise involving military, government, and private entities, and addresses the importance of cooperation with federal agencies.

Main Topics Covered:

• State-level implementation of AI and its role in improving government services
• Leveraging AI for cybersecurity: challenges, use cases, and privacy considerations
• Cyber Tatanka: A collaborative cybersecurity exercise with the National Guard
• Strategic partnerships with private sector and federal agencies
• Resource allocation and logistical challenges in disaster management using AI

Key Quotes:

"We're leveraging cybersecurity and AI to bolster our defenses against the national and global threats that we face." – Patrick Wright

"We can talk about cyber security from a strategic perspective all day long... But where the rubber meets the road is in providing the the critical capabilities for cyber down to the SLT level." – Patrick Wright

"Being proactive in not only what we're doing from a cybersecurity awareness perspective, but from an emerging technology perspective, from a policy perspective, from a best practices perspective." – Patrick Wright

"When you start talking about targeting the power grid, not only are you disrupting power supply generation for constituents across the state or region, but you're also, impacting power for other critical infrastructure like like health care and banking." – Patrick Wright

"We tend to look at the world through our boxes and org charts. The bad guys don't. They act. In fact, they very intentionally exploit the seams in our defenses. –  Frank Cilluffo Relevant Links and Resources: National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD) NASTD AI Survey Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC)

Guest Bio: Patrick Wright is Nebraska’s Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer, responsible for statewide cybersecurity initiatives, incident response, and compliance. With experience in both public and private sectors, he holds degrees in IT and public policy, and chairs multiple cybersecurity committees. He also serves on CIS’s Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center Executive Committee (MS-ISAC).

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Sonya Proctor, Assistant Administrator for Surface Operations at TSA (Transportation Security Administration). Proctor discusses TSA's evolving role in securing pipelines and other surface transportation sectors, emphasizing the agency's expanded cybersecurity focus following the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. The conversation delves into TSA's partnerships with industry, other federal agencies, and state and local law enforcement to enhance critical infrastructure protection, as well as the challenges and opportunities in integrating physical and cyber security efforts.

Main Topics Covered:

• TSA's role in pipeline and surface transportation security
• The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and its impact
• Integration of physical and cyber security for critical infrastructure
• Collaborations with federal and industry partners
• Challenges with operational technology (OT)

Key Quotes:

"[The general public does] not typically think of TSA as having a role for pipeline security. And actually, TSA role in pipeline security goes back to the beginning of TSA." - Sonya Proctor

"I have no question that we are in this together. This is one fight. Because this threat is unlike anything they've ever seen before." - Sonya Proctor

"Our resources will grow along with the threat... They have to."- Sonya Proctor

"I was fortunate to have a relationship with [Colonial Pipeline] and to be able to communicate with them and to be able to get information from them that we were then able to share with other companies." - Sonya Proctor

"We have provided classified briefings to more operators than ever in the in the history of TSA... it was important for us to make sure that they understood the threat. - Sonya Proctor

Relevant Links and Resources:

• DHS 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment
• Recent cybersecurity advisories from TSA and DHS

Guest Bio: Sonya Proctor is the Assistant Administrator for Surface Operations at TSA, overseeing the security of pipelines, mass transit, freight rail, and highways. She previously served as Director of the Surface Division in Policy, Plans, and Engagement, and Deputy Federal Security Director at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Proctor started her law enforcement career with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and also served as Chief of Police for the Amtrak Police Department.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo discusses cybersecurity priorities for the incoming administration with Mark Montgomery, co-author and leader of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 Commission, and George Barnes, former deputy director of the NSA. They delve into the McCrary Institute's new presidential transition report that presents a strategic roadmap to maintain the progress achieved in cybersecurity. The report highlights eight lines of effort, ranging from regulatory harmonization and collaboration to building workforce capacity and securing emerging technologies, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding national security and economic resilience.

Main Topics Covered:

• The purpose and composition of the transition report
• Maintaining cybersecurity momentum across administrations
• Eight lines of effort to ensure cybersecurity continuity
  • Unifying the regulatory landscape
  • Synergy in cybersecurity protection
  • Cost imposition and deterrence strategies
  • Resiliency through proactive risk reduction
  • Enhancing cyber statecraft and international collaboration
  • Building workforce capacity and volunteer support
  • Safeguarding critical and emerging technologies
  • Ensuring continuity of the economy

   

Key Quotes: “Irrespective of who wins the presidency in November, cybersecurity is going to be a priority and must be elevated.” – Frank Cilluffo “The most important thing in Washington is momentum, and to have momentum, you have to have ideas.” – Mark Montgomery "Cyber transcends the air, land, sea space and the reality is this has implications and impact much broader from a national security and economic security perspective." – Frank Cilluffo "You can't just sit there and defend. You actually have to put pressure and cost and position in the other direction." – George Barnes "The one thing [autocracies] can't do well is partner. They're very transactional and domineering, as we know. And so partnerships really matter." – George Barnes “[We] need to first achieve regulatory harmonization. You can't continue to pile requirement on requirement on the private sector without first ensuring that you're not asking them to do the same thing in five different manners.” – Mark Montgomery Related Links: The full report: https://eng.auburn.edu/mccrary/pttf/ Guest Bios:

• Mark Montgomery is the leader of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 Commission, focusing on strategies to improve national cybersecurity and protect critical infrastructure, and a senior fellow at the McCrary Institute. 
• George Barnes is the former deputy director of the National Security Agency (NSA), a senior fellow at the McCrary Institute, and the Cyber Practice President and Partner at Red Cell Partners

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo speaks with Ambassador Toby Feakin, Australia’s first Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technologies. Feakin reflects on the evolving cyber threat landscape in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia's cybersecurity strategy, and its growing focus on balancing economic ties with China while addressing critical security risks. The conversation delves into Australia’s international partnerships, public attribution of cyber threats, and critical infrastructure protection. Feakin also shares insights into his role in spearheading Australia's cyber policy and the future of technological leadership in quantum computing, AI, and supply chain security.

Main Topics Covered:

• Australia’s evolving cybersecurity strategy and public attribution of threats like the Cloud Hopper incident
• The balance between economic ties with China and cybersecurity risks
• International partnerships with Five Eyes and regional players like South Korea and Japan
• Critical infrastructure protection, including undersea cables and cyber-kinetic threats
• The significance of China's pre-positioning cyberattacks
• Emerging technologies, including AI, quantum computing, and their impact on geopolitics
• Feakin’s role in shaping Australia’s cyber diplomacy and international engagement

Key Quotes: "Something that Australia continually has to balance is this kind of multifaceted relationship with China... it's balancing the economic ties that you have with such a behemoth in the Asia-Pacific and globally, economically, alongside a growing understanding of security risk." - Toby Feakin "[China's pre-positioning] absolutely should concern not just other governments, but it should concern industry because they are the guys... who own and operate a majority of infrastructure and they need to know clearly that's the level of threat they're dealing with." - Toby Feakin "If you look at that tech convergence, you cannot afford to sit still for one second because it's all moving such a fast rate that even the developers themselves have no idea where this journey is ending up." - Toby Feakin "[To safeguard supply chains] Australia in making much more rigorous assessments of not only where does the equipment come from, but where does the money flow from." - Toby Feakin "Businesses need to feel comfortable in the chaos of trying out new technologies and creating right pockets of environments and business cases so that they can trial new tech and not be frightened of it." - Toby Feakin Related Links:  

• https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/operation-cloud-hopper-case-study/
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/05/24/volt-typhoon-targets-us-critical-infrastructure-with-living-off-the-land-techniques/
• https://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/2019/australia-huawei-and-5g/

Guest Bio: Ambassador Tobias (Toby) Feakin served as Australia's inaugural Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technologies. He was responsible for shaping Australia's international cyber engagement strategy and has been instrumental in fostering partnerships across the Asia-Pacific. Feakin has played a crucial role in Australia's public attribution of cyber threats and has been a key advocate for balancing technological innovation with security risks.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo talks with Bob Kolasky, Senior Vice President at Exeter and former head of the National Risk Management Center at CISA. The conversation covers key topics related to supply chain risk, security, and national defense. Bob provides insights into the evolving threats within supply chains, especially those linked to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. He also touches on legislative efforts and the role of public-private partnerships in mitigating risks from foreign actors, particularly focusing on concerns regarding Chinese companies like DJI and Huawei.

Main Topics Covered:

• The hybrid nature of supply chain threats and their intersection with cybersecurity
• Notable supply chain attacks like SolarWinds and the role of software vulnerabilities
• The rise of Chinese technology companies, especially DJI, in U.S. supply chains
• Legislative responses to supply chain risks, including the China Select Committee
• Critical infrastructure sectors and the importance of visibility and resilience in supply chains
• The need for secure alternatives to foreign technologies, particularly in drones and communication systems
• Public-private partnerships to address systemic risks in national security

Key Quotes: "Supply chain has increasingly become an important element of how nations defend themselves, but also an area of attack." – Bob Kolasky "We're seeing order of magnitudes improvements in manufacturing techniques that are being enabled by digital. And whenever you say the word digital, you can say the word cyber because a digital supply chain is a potentially cyber-vulnerable supply chain." – Bob Kolasky "How are we as a country going to see the investments made in alternatives to DJI [drones] so that law enforcement can still get a cost effective solution to meet their mission needs?" – Bob Kolasky "It’s not just about bringing supplies back here. It’s about friend-shoring and trust-shoring and making sure that there are the instruments of power used to stimulate the development of technologies and markets for technologies that are crucial." – Bob Kolasky "Let's empower the institutions that Congress has created, the executive branch has created to continue to do this work. Administrations may have different priorities, but the more we jump around... the more we get drawn away from the end state goal, which is more security and resilience." – Bob Kolasky

Relevant Links and Resources:

• National Risk Management Center

Guest Bio:

Bob Kolasky is the Senior Vice President at Exeter and a former leader at the National Risk Management Center at CISA. His career has focused on addressing supply chain risk, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure. At CISA, he worked on supply chain security efforts, particularly in defense and technology sectors, and was a key figure in developing national policies to protect critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats.

In this week’s Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo speaks with Dave Luber, the Director of Cybersecurity at the NSA. Luber shares insights from his extensive career, spanning 37 years in the intelligence community. The discussion focuses on the NSA's dual mission in signals intelligence and cybersecurity, its collaboration with industry through the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, the importance of public-private partnerships, and the evolving threat landscape. Luber emphasizes the need for secure-by-design principles, the role of education in developing the next-generation cyber workforce, and the NSA's efforts to address threats from state-sponsored actors like China and Russia.

Main Topics Covered:

• NSA’s dual missions: Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Cybersecurity
• Establishment of the Cybersecurity Directorate under General Nakasone
• Public-private partnerships and the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center
• Global partnerships with U.S. allies and Five Eyes nations
• The role of academia and the Centers of Academic Excellence in building the cyber workforce
• State-sponsored threats, particularly from China and Russia
• The importance of secure-by-design and zero-trust models in cybersecurity
• Intersection of space and cyber domains, including the protection of space systems
• NSA’s role in shaping the cyber defense landscape and publishing cybersecurity advisories

Key Quotes:

“NSA has two primary missions: signals intelligence and cybersecurity. About five years ago, we combined these strengths to form the Cybersecurity Directorate, enhancing our capabilities to protect national security systems.” – Dave Luber

“You need to use the hacker mentality to think about how to protect critical systems.” – Dave Luber

We’ve brought together the talents of NSA, along with the talents of industry, to really scale cybersecurity in a way we’ve never been able to do in the past." – Dave Luber 

“Russia has decided that, you know what, espionage is more valuable than attack, because if I can get the insights I need from Ukrainian networks, I can drive an outcome that benefits Russia on the battlefield. So you can see that actors will choose a different playbook depending on what they need at a particular time.” – Dave Luber

“Over the course of the last five years, we've continued to see state sponsored actors increase in both their sophistication and scale and capabilities of an impact of some of their operational activities.”– Dave Luber

Turning those signals intelligence insights into actionable cybersecurity guidance is really, I think, where we bring unique opportunities for our nation. But again, just ourselves is not enough.” – Dave Luber

Relevant Links and Resources:

• GenCyber program for K-12 students
• https://media.defense.gov/2024/Feb/07/2003389935/-1/-1/0/CSA-PRC-Compromise-US-Critical-Infrastructure.PDF

In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo interviews Brandon Wales, the former Executive Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who served for over 19 years in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They discuss the evolution of the cyber threat landscape, lessons from significant incidents like SolarWinds, and the role of public-private partnerships in building cybersecurity resilience. Wales also shares insights on geopolitical concerns, including Chinese and Russian cyber capabilities, and the importance of preparedness across critical infrastructure.

Main Topics Covered:

• Brandon Wales' Career at DHS and CISA
• Evolution of Cybersecurity Threats
• SolarWinds Cyber Incident
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Geopolitical Cyber Threats
• Future Cybersecurity Challenges

Key Quotes: 

“I can't think of anyone who's probably had more impact on CIS than yourself.” – Frank Cilluffo

“The first shot fired in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, was cyber, was the disruption of Western critical infrastructure, ViaSat satellite constellation by Russian intelligence services to disrupt command and control in Ukraine.” – Brandon Wales

“Our strength really is the vibrancy of our industry, the innovation that comes from it, the expertise that's resident in it. And for us to win, we need to harness all those capabilities and bring them together.” – Brandon Wales

“[US Election Systems] are arguably more secure and resilient than ever, and people should have confidence that when they go to vote, their vote will be counted and counted correctly” – Brandon Wales

“Industry is not only on the front line, it is the front line in cybersecurity.” – Brandon Wales

Related Links: 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/

https://CISA.gov

Guest Bio:

Brandon Wales is the former Executive Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he served for over 19 years within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He played a pivotal role in shaping the nation's cybersecurity posture and responding to high-profile incidents like the SolarWinds attack. Currently, he is the Vice President for Cybersecurity Strategy at SentinelOne, where he continues to focus on strengthening cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and private industry.