Panel: Safeguarding the Backbone: Cybersecurity for Essential Services

Our final panel discussion will focus on all thing’s product security! The panelists will weigh in on concepts such as secure by design/default, tech accountability, and the implications of shifting the security burden. Our panelists will cover recent legislative developments like the Cyber Resilience Act and engage with the historical context that has led governments to refocus their attention “upstream” after having emphasized operational issues and enterprise security. The discussion will also analyze current policy and regulatory approaches towards product security and where they can be improved!

This panel session will provide an informed discussion regarding the significance of reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the context of cybersecurity. Since the Biden Administration has come out in favor of reauthorizing section 702, some have pointed to the growing number of foreign cyberattacks on the U.S. as an argument in favor of this controversial surveillance tool. This discussion will explore whether the reauthorization of 702 is essential for enhancing national cybersecurity and aims to shed light on the nuanced relationship between surveillance laws and cybersecurity measures, addressing the need for transparency and effective tools to combat evolving cyber threats.

Although not widely known, many critical Internet services and functions depend on non-profit organizations and volunteers funded largely through philanthropy. This model worked well (enough)when the Internet was new, but given our global dependence on cyberspace, we are reaching the limits of this model’s ability to meet demand. The “For the Greater Good: Funding the Future of the Internet” panel will examine how certain critical activities for the public interest and common good are funded now and explore possible alternatives. This session will also incorporate international perspectives, recognizing that cybersecurity threats are inherently global. The panel discuss innovative financing mechanisms, international collaboration, and strategic investments that can help ensure critical cybersecurity activities remain available to safeguard the common good.

This panel session promises an exploration on current cybersecurity workforce initiatives, namely how hiring and developing a diverse cyber workforce can support better security outcomes. The discussion aims to highlight how a diverse workforce is better equipped to combat the multifaceted nature of cyber threats, as varied perspectives can offer innovative solutions. The session will examine how these issues are being addressed in the National Cyber Strategy, as well as steps that entities can take to greater incentive diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cyber workforce.

The Cybersecurity Luminaries panel is a fan favorite at CyberNext DC! This panel will seek to entertain with lively and spontaneous dialogue while bringing important and diverse perspectives to innovative issues. This year some of the discussion topics include artificial intelligence, the increasing number of cyberattacks in healthcare, software supply chain security, securing critical infrastructure, and more. You can look forward to hearing candid conversations among our panelists on the future of securing the cybersecurity ecosystem.

This session assesses the proliferation and irresponsible use of Commercial Cyber Intrusion Capabilities (CCICS), including ‘commercial intrusive surveillance software’ or spyware. It also discusses the Pall Mall Process – jointly led by France and the United Kingdom – which seeks to establish guiding principles and highlight policy options for States, industry and civil society in relation to the development, facilitation, purchase and use of such capabilities.

This session reviews plans to improve the cybersecurity of the European Union’s critical infrastructure, including Commission President Ursula VON DER LEYEN’s proposal for a Preparedness Union Strategy. It also discusses cybersecurity capacity assistance to Ukraine via the Tallinn Mechanism as well as the future of cybersecurity cooperation within and between the EU and NATO.

This session discusses the efforts and strategies employed by the international community to provide IT and cyber defence assistance to Ukraine.

This session analyses cybersecurity threats associated with quantum computing and the policy challenges surrounding the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). It also considers the role of EU institutions in supporting this transition to enhance cybersecurity and protect citizens.

This session focuses ongoing efforts to clarify, align and harmonise the European Union’s cybersecurity regulatory landscape. It discusses challenges stemming from variations in Member States’ implementation and transposition of EU regulations and directives, such as the NIS 2 Directive, as well as the complexities of cross-border cooperation in cybersecurity.

This session examines the implications of the December targeted amendment to the Cybersecurity Act (CSA), which enables the establishment of European certification schemes for managed security services. It also discusses the outlook for the European Union Cybersecurity Certification Scheme on Cloud Services (EUCS), with a particular focus on the ongoing debate surrounding cloud sovereignty.

This session offers a closer look at the European Commission's cybersecurity priorities for the 2024-2029 mandate under the leadership of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

When designed to operate in complete stealth mode, with no persistent notification to the device owner, stalkerware can give abusers, stalkers, and other perpetrators a robust tool to perpetrate harassment, monitoring, stalking, fraud, and abuse. This type of abuse can be terrifying, traumatizing, and raises significant safety and privacy concerns. This panel will discuss the availability of these apps, the use of them as a tool for abuse, and the steps government and industry can take to help combat the problem.

This panel will discuss the more modern IT architectures that agencies are adopting and the types of security solutions that underpin those environments. It will also cover how government wide security programs are adapting to support those more modernized IT ecosystems.

Nearly all major privacy laws and regulations – from the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to the European General Directive for Privacy Regulation – include express data security requirements. Yet, some members of Congress and other commentators have suggested that security provisions will only serve to make privacy legislation more difficult to pass while others suggest that they can’t vote for a bill without security. What type of security is being discussed in these bills and how will they affect consumers?

This panel will provide a chance for policy makers and cybersecurity practitioners to hear directly from state and local election officials about what they need and, perhaps more importantly, what they don’t need in advance of the 2020 elections. Audience members will be able to engage directly with election experts and develop a better understanding of their needs and resource limitations.

Fireside chat to discuss key themes of the Cybersecurity Coalition Europe 2024-2029 Manifesto.