Watch: A conversation on cybersecurity in today's tech landscape

On Monday, June 12, Axios global technology correspondent Ryan Heath hosted virtual conversations exploring the importance of developing stronger cybersecurity measures in today’s rapidly changing tech world. Guests included Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Cyber Threat Alliance president and CEO Michael Daniel. The View from the Top sponsored segment featured Okta VP of government affairs and public policy Jim Green.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino discussed how Congress is working to address shortages in the cyber workforce pipeline and emphasized the presence of bipartisan support among policymakers around cybersecurity issues.

• On improving the U.S. cybersecurity talent pipeline: “It is a big issue, and that’s actually our next hearing is going to be focused on growing the cyber workforce pipeline. We have a lot of private sector people coming in to testify about how we can grow that pipeline…we are going to have to figure a way to have a short term fix, but I also think we need to start education on cybersecurity younger.”
• On bipartisan work on cybersecurity policy: “A hack doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, they’re just going in for the information, so it’s going to hit us all the same way whether you’re Republican or Democrat. So this is something that both sides are heavily focused on and we are working very well together.”

Michael Daniel explained how to facilitate taking the burden of security off of users and onto software and tech companies and how artificial intelligence could be used by both adversaries and defenders in cyberattacks.

• On implementing liability for software manufacturers and internet providers: “It’s going to take several different parts, and some of it will probably require legislation, for example, I think that looking at how you implement a liability regime for software manufacturers, for example, to require them to close up known vulnerabilities in software, that’s going to be a part of it. But also it’s about how do we renegotiate the social contract with, say, internet service providers?”
• On the impact of AI on cybersecurity: “I think it’s going to radically change certain aspects of cybersecurity. But what I really mean by that is that the adversaries, the malicious actors, will undoubtedly use, for example, generative AI to write better phishing emails. But at the same time the defenders will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to do a better job of detecting phishing emails. You can use artificial intelligence to identify vulnerabilities in software more rapidly, okay well that’s beneficial to both the bad guys but also for the good guys to actually find them and patch them.”

In the View from the Top segment, Jim Green outlined the role the government can play in advancing stronger user security practices.

• “Government can do a lot, and I have to say, I think the Biden administration has been doing a lot, and so I applaud them for that. A couple of executive orders early in year one, both talking about that strong security…but they need to continue to do that, so budgets reflect values and priorities. They need to continue on the implementation side of all of these executive orders and what agencies have been doing as well. The second is awareness, there are 750,000 good paying cybersecurity jobs out there in the public and private sectors today, so the government can say ‘Hey get out there get a great job’. Third thing, final thing, partnership, continued, public private collaboration.”

Thank you to Okta for sponsoring this event.