Who Sets the Rules? The Imminent GDPR-ification of Product Cybersecurity Just as Europe set the global standard for data privacy with the GDPR—without U.S. input—other jurisdictions worldwide are poised to do the same for product cybersecurity, and the window for American ...

In his time on the Hill, IST VP Nicholas Leiserson experienced firsthand the “GDPR-ification” of global privacy regulation. For the #NatSpecs blog, prompted by today’s report, Nicholas reflects on how to avoid a similar fate in global product cybersecurity regulation.
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Reflecting on the Munich Cybersecurity Conference Roller Coaster: Digital Sovereignty, Decoupling, and the Risks and Opportunities of AI IST Chief Strategy Officer Megan Stifel visited Germany in February to join cybersecurity experts from around the globe at the Munich Cyber Security Conference. From digital sovereignty to the risks a...

IST Chief Strategy Officer @megans.bsky.social visited Germany in February to join cybersecurity experts from around the globe at #MCSC. From digital sovereignty to the risks and opportunities of AI, she reflected on her experience for the #NatSpecs blog.
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Reflecting on the Munich Cybersecurity Conference Roller Coaster: Digital Sovereignty, Decoupling, and the Risks and Opportunities of AI IST Chief Strategy Officer Megan Stifel visited Germany in February to join cybersecurity experts from around the globe at the Munich Cyber Security Conference. From digital sovereignty to the risks a...

IST Chief Strategy Officer @megans.bsky.social visited Germany in February to join national security strategies from around the globe at #MCSC. From digital sovereignty to the risks and opportunities of AI, she reflected on her experience for the #NatSpecs blog.
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Something Mysterious Is Happening In a blog reflecting on her co-authored report, AI Loss of Control Risks, Mariami Tkeshelashvili writes, "There is a difference between embracing mystery as a driver of discovery and being incurious a...

The future with AI in it is filled with “known unknowns” and “unknown unknowns.” For the #NatSpecs blog, IST’s Mariami Tkeshelashvili reflects on her co-authored report, released today, and what she sees as our #AI responsibility.
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Autonomous Agents, Human Consequences: Key Insights from IST’s Workshop on AI Agents & Agency in the Internet Ecosystem AI agents are shaping how decisions are made, how systems behave, and how humans navigate the digital world. To better understand the implications of this shift, IST recently hosted a closed-door work...

AI agents are shaping how decisions are made & humans navigate the digital world. To unpack the implications of this shift, IST hosted a closed-door workshop on the potential effects of AI on human agency. For the #NatSpecs blog, Jennifer Tang & Tiffany Saade summarize the discussion.
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Negotiating Stability: Reflections on CSIS’ Future Arms Control Experts (FACE) Program IST Senior Associate for Nuclear Policy Brandon Cortino spent the last year as a fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies FACE cohort, which aims to train the next generation of ar...

IST's Brandon Cortino spent the last year as a fellow in the @csis.org FACE cohort, which aims to train the next generation of arms control negotiators. For the #NatSpecs blog, Brandon shares lessons learned from his study of the 2002 Moscow Treaty signed by Presidents Bush and Putin.
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The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon – IST Hosts Book Talk with Author Ankit Panda IST’s Nuclear Policy team hosted international security expert and author Ankit Panda in Palo Alto to learn more about his latest book unpacking the trilateral nuclear competition between the United S...

IST hosted international security expert & author Ankit Panda for a fireside chat with IST CEO Philip Reiner to discuss his latest book on the nuclear age and the need for political & technical solutions for emerging tech. IST’s Catherine Murphy recaps the event for the #NatSpecs blog.
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For #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, our social channels featured practical resources, novel research, and critical insights from IST’s cadre of experts. Compiled for the #NatSpecs blog, these resources showcase IST’s work in the fields of #ransomware, #AI, #cyber & more.
🛡️ Learn more: bit.ly/4i12g6C

Decrypting Iran’s AI-Enhanced Operations in Cyberspace Iran has long used unconventional tactics and weapons to wage asymmetric warfare. Now, amid recent uprisings, Iran has begun to incorporate AI into its domestic surveillance efforts. What does this me...

For the #NatSpecs blog, IST’s Mariami Tkeshelashvili and Tiffany Saade analyze Iran’s use of AI in information operations and domestic surveillance to identify risks for the malicious use of the technology.
🛡️ Read their conclusions:

What Does Ransomware Have to Do with War and Peace: IST’s Contributions to the Final UN OEWG Negotiation Session IST joined the eleventh and final substantive session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Security of and in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies this week at the UN. While there, we ...

IST Senior Director for International Cyber Engagement Elizabeth Vish and Future for Digital Security Associate Gigi Flores Bustamante attended the event, held on the margins of the UN’s Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on ICTs, and reflected on their experience for the #NatSpecs blog.
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What to Make of the U.S. Federal Court Breach(es) IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson examines the latest breach of the U.S. federal court systems. “As a nation founded on the rule of law, this incident (or series of incidents) presents a hos...

For the #NatSpecs blog, IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson examines the latest breach of the U.S. federal court systems: “as a nation founded on the rule of law, this incident (or series of incidents) presents a host of challenges for policymakers & the broader public.”
🛡️ Read his analysis:

Accessible and Secure: Exploring Options to Improve K-12 Cybersecurity through the Universal Service Fund The Federal Communication Commission’s pilot program to bring cybersecurity resources to K-12 schools received over $3.7 billion in requests for assistance, more than fifteen times the program budget....

The FCC’s pilot program to bring cybersecurity resources to K-12 schools received over $3.7 billion in requests for assistance, more than 15 times the budget. Last week, IST hosted a virtual event to check in on the pilot’s progress & discuss options for updating the USF.
🖋️ Read the #NatSpecs recap:

60 Million Reasons to Rethink Vendor Management: IST hosts experts on PowerSchool data breach When a single data breach can affect 60 million students and 10 million teachers, what can states and districts do to protect their communities? IST Senior Director Michael Klein hosted a virtual even...

When a single data breach can affect 60M students & 10M teachers, what can states and districts do to protect their communities? IST's @michaelfklein.bsky.social hosted an event on rethinking 3rd-party vendor risk post-PowerSchool.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: securityandtechnology.org/blog/60-mill...

Without Washington? IST’s Michael Klein joins Panel at CLTC’s Cyber Civil Defense Summit to highlight mechanisms for bolstering state and local cyber resilience In June, IST Senior Director Michael Klein spoke on a panel at UC Berkeley’s Center for Long Term Cybersecurity #CyberCivilDefense Summit addressing shared responsibility of regional cyber resilience....

In June, IST's @michaelfklein.bsky.social spoke on a @cltcberkeley.bsky.social #CyberCivilDefense Summit panel addressing regional cyber resilience. @tgrossman.bsky.social reflects on the conversation, which highlighted pathways for improving state & local cybersecurity.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog:

IST Submits Comments to the EU Cybersecurity Act Review Consultation In April, the European Commission opened a public consultation process for feedback on the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act. Drawing on e...

In April, @ec.europa.eu released a public consultation process for feedback on the #ENISA and the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act. Drawing on our FDS portfolio, IST’s comments focus on harmonizing legislation and streamlining incident reporting requirements.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog:

Rapid Reaction: Trump 47’s First Cybersecurity Executive Order IST Senior Vice President for Policy Nicholas Leiserson reviews the new Trump White House Executive Order on cybersecurity, offering three key takeaways.

Last week, the Trump White House issued its first major executive action on #cybersecurity, making changes to orders released by both the Obama and Biden administrations. IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson takes a closer look at the new EO.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog:

Responding to the Unknown: Simulating AI-Driven Crises In April, Mariami Tkeshelashvili and Jennifer Tang hosted an AI crisis simulation exercise at theJohns Hopkins SAIS Emerging Technologies Symposium. The hands-on exercise asked participants to explore...

In April, Mariami Tkeshelashvili & Jennifer Tang hosted an #AI crisis simulation exercise at the SAIS Emerging Tech Symposium. Participants responded to challenges at the nexus of AI & national security, drawing on IST research.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: securityandtechnology.org/blog/respond...

Setting the Foundation of a New National Strategy on AI: IST Submits Comments on an AI Action Plan Institute for Security and Technology (IST) last week submitted comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in response to its request for information on the development...

IST has submitted comments on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s RFI on AI Action Plan development. Informed by years of engagements, our response proposes 6 strategic objectives to build the foundation of a new national AI strategy.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/4kFbRkD

Managing Misuse Risk for Dual-Use Foundation Models: IST Submits Comments to a NIST Request for Information Last week, Institute for Security and Technology (IST) submitted a response to NIST's Request for Comments on the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute's draft guidelines for identifying and m...

Last week, IST submitted a response to NIST’s Request for Comments on its draft guidelines for improving the safety, security, and trustworthiness of dual-use foundation models. IST draws on our multi-year research effort into AI risk reduction to make recs.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/4huR5BC

Since April 2021, IST’s #RansomwareTaskForce has investigated how to disrupt the infrastructure that ransomware groups rely on to receive payments. Trevaughn Smith presents new strategies for targeting the resourcing phase of the #ransomware ecosystem.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/4ilbMRx

In January, international law enforcement announced the successful disruption of Cracked and Nulled, 2 of the largest cybercrime forums. IST’s Gigi Flores Bustamante breaks down key actions and the operation’s strategic approach to disrupting #ransomware.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/3XF8tME

From policymakers to journalists to developers, the second annual Cyber Policy Awards™ nominees reflect the dedication, ingenuity, and acumen of the cyber policy community. At Thursday’s ceremony, cross-sector leaders announced recipients to a packed house.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/42KQ58q

IST is pleased to announce the generous political and financial support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Foreign Office Germany to continue the #CATALINK Initiative through 2027.
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog:
securityandtechnology.org/blog/announc...

In September, IST’s Elizabeth Vish & Gigi Flores Bustamante attended the first convening of the Brazil
#RansomwareTaskForce, co-organized by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OAS & IST. Gigi shares her reflections on launching the Brazil RTF 🇧🇷
🖋️ From the #NatSpecs blog: bit.ly/4907jQi