In 2015, 74 bills containing the term “cybersecurity” were introduced in Congress; the Library of Congress approved a security research exemption for the DMCA; the President signed two cybersecurity-related Executive Orders; and various Government agencies debated how to control exports of intrusion technologies. This trend will continue in 2016 as more breaches and vulnerabilities hit the headlines, and technology continues to become more pervasive in our lives.
Government policy impacts our community, and as experts in a field that is complex and often misunderstood, we need to educate lawmakers and to help them reach positive outcomes, and mitigate negative ones. This talk will provide an overview of the legislative landscape for cybersecurity and investigate how it really affects our industry and community.
We will also give security pros a chance to hear directly from a Congressional staffer who focuses on cybersecurity issues. Nick Leiserson, cybersecurity lead for Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), will be interviewed by Jen Ellis, VP of public affairs at Rapid7 on potential legislative developments, how the security community can get involved in the debate, and what the process is for creating cybersecurity legislation.
Nick Leiserson is the cybersecurity lead for Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI), and the co-lead staff for the Congressional Cyber Caucus. He works extensively on cybersecurity policy, with a strong focus on national security and consumer safety.
Jen Ellis is Vice President of Community and Public Affairs at Rapid7 and spends most of her time trying to positively shape policy that may impact the security community. She also works extensively with security researchers to help get the word out about threats so they can be properly understood and mitigated. She has testified to Congress as an expert witness on the CFAA.