Hacktivists. Disgruntled employees. Terrorists. Countries or people that just hate each other. We all know about increasing frequency of attacks, but the majority of malicious actors are driven by a clear profit motive. Where are the damaging but not financially-motivated attacks, the folks that just want to mess things up? Think of it like Drake’s famous equation on the probability of extraterrestrial life: a small percent with the means and a small percent with the motive still means a non-zero probability of overlap. If a criminal gang can take down a organization for money, why haven’t more people done it for petty vengeance, politics, or just the lulz? We tackle these weighty questions at the intersection of geopolitics, public safety and infosec in the format with the most gravitas: a game show. Our panel of experts will try to win points, predict the future, and avoid overly obvious innuendo.
Allan Friedman is Director of Cybersecurity at National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the US Department of Commerce. He coordinates NTIA’s multistakeholder processes on cybersecurity, focusing on addressing vulnerabilities in IoT and across the software world. Prior to joining the Federal Government, Friedman spent over 15 years as a noted InfoSec and tech policy scholar at Harvard’s Computer Science Department, the Brookings Institution and George Washington University’s Engineering School. He is the co-author of the popular text Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know, has a degree in computer science from Swarthmore College and a PhD in public policy from Harvard University, and is quite friendly for a failed professor-turned-technocrat.
Chris is the founder and CEO of HypaSec. Previously, Chris headed the Information Protection Group, network operations, security operations and joint-international intelligence team for the Aramco family. Helping to recover Aramco from a nation-state attack to implement digital security and reconnect international business operations. Responsible for all digital IT and ICS assets throughout the EMEA region (minus KSA) and Latin America. Subsequently, establishing and assisting global digital security teams, standards, security driven legal contracts for secure software development with third parties, the Aramco EU/UK Privacy group with internal and external council and computer emergency response teams. Chris has practical and strategic hands-on experience in several cyber warfare incidents. USAF Space Command, detecting and helping to halt the July 2009 Second Wave attacks from the DPKR against South Korea and helping to recover and reestablish international business operations after the world’s most devastating cyber warfare attack, Shamoon in 2012. Expert advisor and panelist for several governments and parliaments. Author of several books, offensive security trainer, digital security course creator, recognized expert in several digital security fields including IT/IOT/ICS SCADA space, maritime, aviation, oil & gas, electric, water and nuclear.
Bryson is the Founder of SCYTHE, a start-up building a next generation attack emulation platform, and GRIMM, a boutique cybersecurity consultancy, and Co-Founder of the ICS Village, a non-profit advancing awareness of industrial control system security. He is a National Security Institute Fellow and an Advisor to the Army Cyber Institute. Prior, Bryson led an elite offensive capabilities development group. As a U.S. Army Officer, he served as a Battle Captain and Brigade Engineering Officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom before leaving the Army as a Captain. Bryson received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Management from the University of Maryland, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Florida, and completed graduate studies in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas.