Prioritizing Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions: From Policy to Regulation

FBI Director Christopher Wray just compared recent ransomware attacks to the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods, America’s largest oil pipeline and meat processor respectively and the upheaval to gas and meat prices, to 9/11 terrorism. This falls in the wake of the SolarWinds attack, which came dangerously close to disrupting the US Treasury, one of the most sophisticated hacks to date. These attacks

There are at least 23 federal agencies charged with cybersecurity regulation, yet cyber attacks against the U.S. are only growing more frequent and sophisticated. And America’s critical infrastructures are increasingly targeted in comprehensive ways, disrupting supply lines for energy, food, financial services, and other essential goods and service There is limited data on number, causes, means, and attribution of these attacks, and even less information on how well existing cyber defenses have deterred them. Without additional data, how can policymakers prioritize their efforts under these circumstances, and how can enterprises ensure the billions they spend annually to secure their systems are having an impact?

This event will shed light on these challenges to critical infrastructure like financial services and areas, encourage the TPRC audience to participate with research, and help policymakers think smarter about how to prioritize their cybersecurity agenda, including:

• Is the current definition of critical infrastructure too narrow?
• Despite all the resources for cybersecurity, why are outcomes getting worse and not better?
• What new models for collaboration between the private and public sector exist?
• How should cybersecurity professionals partner with other geopolitical specialists to address foreign policy challenges in a holistic manner?