Conference on Cyber Regulation and Harmonization

Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations
Jason Healey, Director, SIPA Cyber 

PANEL 1 - Watch Panel 1 on SIPA's YouTube Channel
Panelists will explore the current state and future of cyber regulation, especially in the light of recent Supreme Court decisions. 

Panelists: 
Colin Ahern, Chief Cyber Officer, State of New York
Chris Hetner, Senior Advisor, National Association of Corporate Directors, Former Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to SEC Chairman
Nick Leiserson, Assistant National Cyber Director, Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), Executive Office of the President

Moderated by:
Evan Wolff, Partner, Crowell & Moring, SIPA Cyber adjunct faculty 

Sponsored by Columbia University's Data Science Institute. Coffee area will feature a poster session on cyber-regulation research 

Conversation on regulation and national security between:

Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and and Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations 
Anne Neuberger, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, Executive Office of the President

Watch the Fireside Conversation on SIPA's YouTube Channel

Introduction by Katrina Armstrong, Interim President of Columbia University in the City of New York

Conversation between:

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67th Secretary of State and former Senator from New York, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Faculty Advisor Board Chair of IGP, Columbia University
Governor Kathy Hochul, 57th Governor of New York

Presented by the Institute of Global Politics (IGP)

Watch the Spotlight Interview on SIPA's YouTube Channel

Lunch followed by keynote speech:

Harry Coker, National Cyber Director 

Watch the Keynote Speech on SIPA's YouTube Channel

PANEL 2 - Watch Panel 2 on SIPA's YouTube Channel
Discussion exploring harmonizing existing regulations so that companies are not faced with conflicting or duplicative requirements and reporting.

Panelists: 
Alexander Evans, Professor, London School of Economics, virtual
Emily Ferguson, Professional Staff Member, US Senate
Elizabeth Irwin, Director of Strategic Risk, ONCD
Monica Ruiz, Senior Cybersecurity Strategist, Microsoft

Moderated by:
Josephine Wolff, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, Tufts University

Break area will feature a poster session on cyber-regulation research by Adam Hastings and Professor Simha Sethumadhavan (Columbia Engineering)

PANEL 3 - Watch Panel 3 on SIPA's YouTube Channel
Panelists will discuss the current and future state of regulation and harmonization in the finance sector.

Panelists: 
Art Lindo, Deputy Director for Policy in Supervision and Regulation, Federal Reserve Board
Josh Magri, CEO, Cyber Risk Institute
Rinku Sinha, Cybersecurity Policy Program Director, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Deborah Eng, Global Cybersecurity Policy Lead, JPMorgan Chase

Moderated by:
Neal Pollard, former CISO of UBS, SIPA Cyber adjunct faculty

PANEL 4 - Watch Panel 4 on SIPA's YouTube Channel
Discussion on both preventing AI from helping malicious hackers and preventing such groups from hacking the AI or its training data.

Panelists:
Chris Cornillie, Manager Cloud Security Policy, Google Cloud
Sam Kaplan, Senior Director and Associate General Council, Palo Alto Networks and former Assistant Secretary and Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security
Simha Sethumadhavan, Professor, Columbia Engineering

Moderated by:
Brandon Pugh, Director, Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats, R Street Institute

Sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. Break area will feature a poster session on cyber-regulation research.

Welcome remarks by 
Vishal Misra, Vice Dean Computing and AI, Columbia Engineering
Jason Healey, Director, SIPA Cyber

Conversation on Regulation and Harmonization between

Merit E. Janow, Dean Emerita, SIPA; Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, SIPA and Columbia Law School; and Non-executive Board Chair, MasterCard
Kemba Walden, President, Paladin Global Institute, former acting National Cyber Director

Watch the Fireside Conversation on SIPA's YouTube Channel

PANEL 5 - Watch Panel 5 on SIPA's YouTube Channel 
Discussion on regulating cybersecurity for hospitals, embedded medical devices, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare industries.

Panelists:
Beau Woods, Founder, Stratigos Security and Cyber Safety Advocate, I Am The Cavalry
Ari Schwartz, Managing Director of Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP, former Senior Director, National Security Council 
Drew Hanchett, Chief Health Information Officer, Department of Health, New York State 

Moderated by: 
Beth Cartier, SIPA Cyber adjunct faculty

Break area will feature a poster session on cyber regulation research.

PANEL 6 - Watch Panel 6 on SIPA's YouTube Channel 
This panel will explore regulation and cybersecurity for the shift to new energy infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging, virtual power plants, and renewable energy field devices. The companies developing, deploying, and operating this infrastructure must be resilient and secure to avoid disruptions and loss of intellectual property to economic competitors.

Panelists:
Jason Bordoff, Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy, SIPA
Sean Ewart, Assistant Secretary for Energy, New York State
Michele Guido, Strategic Security Policy Director Southern Company
  
Moderated by:
Harry Krejsa, Director of Studies, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, former Assistant National Cyber Director for Strategy

Jason Healey, Director, SIPA Cyber 

Colin Ahern
Chief Cyber Officer, State of New York

Colin Ahern is an internationally recognized expert in cyber security, resilience, and intelligence, serving as the first Chief Cyber Officer of the State of New York since June 2022. He oversees cyber threat assessment and mitigation efforts, leading cross-agency initiatives to protect New York from cyber threats.

Previously, as First Deputy Director of New York City Cyber Command and Acting Chief Information Security Officer, Colin transformed a small team into a city agency managing over 800,000 endpoints across more than 100 departments. He developed the city’s first cloud-based, zero trust environment, allowing for a successful pivot to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic while processing billions of events daily to safeguard city services.

Colin began his career in the Army, enlisting after 9/11 and later serving on active duty, including two tours in Afghanistan. He rose to the rank of company commander in the Army Cyber Brigade, overseeing a specialized cyberspace operations organization. His military honors include the Bronze Star and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

He has taught at Columbia University University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a guest lecturer at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Colin frequently engages with the media and has published widely in academic and professional circles. He is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a certified information systems security professional.

Colin holds a bachelor's degree from Tulane University and an MBA from NYU Stern. His family has deep roots in New York City, and he enjoys surfing, skiing, and hockey, living in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

Jason Bordoff
Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia SIPA

Jason Bordoff is the Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he is a Professor of Professional Practice. He is also on the faculty of the Columbia Climate School, where he is Co-Founding Dean Emeritus. He previously served as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director for Energy and Climate Change on the Staff of the National Security Council. Prior to that appointment, he held senior policy positions on the White House’s National Economic Council and Council on Environmental Quality. Earlier in his career, he was a scholar at the Brookings Institution, served in the Treasury Department during the Clinton Administration, and was a consultant with McKinsey & Company.

Bordoff graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. He also holds an MLitt degree from Oxford University, and a BA magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University.

Beth Cartier
CISO at Initiative Security, SIPA Cyber Adjunct Faculty

Beth Cartier is a CISO at Initiative Security, specializing in advising startups and healthcare companies in cybersecurity, compliance, privacy, and AI. She was formerly the head of security and compliance at Maven Clinic. Previously, she was the director of security and compliance at Headspace Health; the service lead for cyber incident readiness at EY; and director for global security architecture at Sony Corporation of America. Prior to switching to industry, Beth responded to cyber incident crises for many companies across industries and regions with PwC after starting her career at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia's SIPA. She is a visiting fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University, a former CFR Term member, a member of the FDD National Security network, and a mentor with Girl Security.

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
67th Secretary of State and former Senator from New York, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Faculty Advisory Board Chair of IGP, Columbia University

Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent over five decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.  As 67th U.S. Secretary of State, her "smart power" approach to foreign policy repositioned American diplomacy and development for the 21st century.  Clinton played a central role in restoring America’s standing in the world, reasserting the United States as a Pacific power, imposing crippling sanctions on Iran and North Korea, responding to the Arab Awakening, and negotiating a ceasefire in the Middle East.  Earlier, as First Lady and Senator for New York, she traveled to more than 80 countries as a champion of human rights, democracy, and opportunities for women and girls; she also worked to provide health care to millions of children, create jobs, and support first responders who risked their lives at Ground Zero.  In her historic 2016 campaign for President of the United States, Clinton won 66 million votes.  She is the author of eleven best-selling books, host of the podcast You and Me Both, founder of the global production studio HiddenLight Productions, a producer of the Broadway musical “Suffs”, Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, and a Professor of Practice at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University where she co-founded the Institute of Global Politics.  She and former U.S. President Bill Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, three grandchildren: Charlotte, Aidan, and Jasper, and reside in New York.

Harry Coker
National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the President

Harry Coker, Jr. was confirmed by the Senate on December 12, 2023 as the second National Cyber Director in the Office of the National Cyber Director, the White House.  Director Coker is a retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive and career Naval Officer, is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Coker completed a joint duty assignment as the Executive Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). As the third in command of the largest component of the US Intelligence Community, he directly supported NSA’s Director and Deputy Director in the strategic and day-to-day leadership of the Agency. Coker’s service to the Nation and NSA was recognized with the awarding of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the NSA Director’s Distinguished Service Medal, and the IC EEOD Outstanding Leadership Award.

Chris Cornillie
Manager Cloud Security Policy, Google Cloud

Chris Cornillie is a seasoned policy and technology analyst with over a decade of experience across government affairs, cloud security, and technology markets. Currently a Manager of Cloud Security Policy at Google, he leads efforts in shaping security policies within the Government Affairs & Public Policy division. Previously, he was a Federal Technology Market Analyst at Bloomberg Government, where he provided key insights into federal IT trends and was cited in top-tier media outlets. His earlier roles include Senior Analyst at Gartner, focusing on information security, and Research Analyst at Atlantic Media, where he specialized in defense and IT market intelligence.

Chris holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s in Economics, Classics, and Political Science from the University of Illinois. His work has been widely recognized, with numerous publications on technology and security in both government and private sector outlets. 

Deborah Eng
Global Cybersecurity Policy Lead, JP Morgan Chase

Deborah Eng is an Executive Director in the Technology Cyber Policy & Partnerships group at JPMorgan Chase. She is responsible for identifying and shaping regulatory developments and engaging with financial sector authorities to help minimize undue operational burden for the firm. She currently chairs the Global Standards Committee at the Cyber Risk Institute, co-chairs the U.S. Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council’s (FSSCC’s) International Policy Committee, and is a U.S. representative to the G-7 Cyber Experts Group.

Prior to joining JPMC, Ms. Eng spent 8 years as the Chief Operating Officer at The Chertoff Group, a global security advisory firm that provides risk management, business strategy, and merchant banking advisory services.  As a founding member of the firm, she helped to stand up operations and build the firm’s Business Strategy Practice Area where she provided advisory services to technology companies focusing on cybersecurity capabilities.  

Ms. Eng also served in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overseeing and coordinating department-wide responses to all White House directives and policy issues. In 2008, Ms. Eng left the Office of the Secretary to become the Senior Advisor to the Administrator of FEMA, where she focused on policy reform in disaster response and emergency management.  In this capacity, she worked closely with FEMA’s Deputy Director, senior officials at the agency, and state and local leadership to foster interagency coordination pre- and post-disaster.  

Prior to her experience at DHS, Ms. Eng worked at Condé Nast Publications at Wired Magazine. Ms. Eng began her public sector career at the White House in the Office of Political Affairs.  

Ms. Eng earned a dual Master’s degree in Cybersecurity from the New York University Schools of Law and Engineering.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.  

Alexander Evans
Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science

Alexander Evans is a Professor in Practice in Public Policy at the London School of Economics where he teaches courses on diplomacy, technology and long-term policymaking. He is also a research fellow at the Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He directs a new LSE initiative on regulatory diplomacy and cybersecurity.

A career British diplomat, he formerly worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, Strategy Director in the Cabinet Office, and Director Cyber in the Foreign Office. He has served as British Deputy and Acting High Commissioner to India and (briefly) Pakistan, led the United Nations Security Council expert group on Daesh, Al Qaida and the Taliban, and was a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of State in the first Obama Administration. 

His past academic posts include serving as the Henry Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy at the Library of Congress, a Senior Fellow at Yale, and a Gwilym Gibbon Fellow at Nuffield College Oxford. He has contributed to books and journals including Foreign Affairs, The Economist, The Washington Quarterly and International Affairs. He has a PhD from SOAS, University of London. He was a Yale World Fellow and has a BSc in International Relations from the LSE. He has held fellowships at Chatham House, the Stimson Center in Washington DC and the Asia Society in New York.

Alexander serves on a range of boards in the US, UK and EU including as a non-executive director of the Internet Watch Foundation.

Sean Ewart
Assistant Secretary for Energy, New York State

Sean Ewart is the Assistant Secretary for Energy in the New York State Governor's Office, focusing on energy policy development and implementation. In this role, he manages a portfolio of state entities, including the Department of Public Service, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York Power Authority, and Long Island Power Authority.

Before joining the Governor's office, Sean held roles in regulatory affairs and at the New York State Assembly, where he served as Director of Energy Policy for the Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Energy. With nearly a decade in public service, Sean has advanced key initiatives in cyber security for utilities, streamlined state transmission permitting, and enhanced New York’s renewable energy procurement capabilities.

Emily Ferguson
Professional Staff Member, US Senate

Emily A. Ferguson is a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee for Chairman Peters and leads the cybersecurity, election security, critical infrastructure and emerging technology portfolio. Before joining the Committee, she worked for the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative and her published research includes “This Job Post Will Get You Kidnapped: A Deadly Cycle of Crime, Cyberscams, and Civil War in Myanmar” along with other projects at the intersection of technology and national security. Previously she worked for various defense contracting companies as an intelligence analyst and served as a language analyst for the U.S. Army from 2014-2019. 

Emily Ferguson has a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from George Mason University and a Master of Arts in security studies from Georgetown University.

Monica Ruiz Forscey
Senior Cybersecurity Strategist, Microsoft

Monica Ruiz Forscey is a Senior Cybersecurity Strategist in Microsoft’s Global Cybersecurity Policy team. In this role she works with internal and external partners to help advance effective cybersecurity policy internationally. Prior to that, she was a Senior Government Affairs Manager in Microsoft’s Digital Diplomacy team where she led engagements to increase awareness and understanding of UN process on cybersecurity with civil society. Earlier in her career, she worked at U.S. Southern Command in the J9 Partnering Directorate, where she focused on civil-military relations between the Command and partners in the Latin America region. Monica holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Michele Guido
Strategic Security Policy Director, Southern Company

Michele L. Guido is the Strategic Security Policy Director at Southern Company, the parent company of Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Southern Nuclear, Mississippi Power and its subsidiaries. Michele has been employed at Southern Company since September 2004.

Michele has 35 years’ experience in crisis and consequence management, enterprise risk, business continuity, disaster recovery and emergency response for critical infrastructure. Prior to joining Southern Company, Michele was employed at IBM, BellSouth, and Federated Systems Group. Michele has experience in all sides of the public-private ecosystem on national security, cybersecurity, physical security, natural disasters, and existential threats.

In current role, Michele provides high-level strategic and policy advice and expertise to Southern Company executives on aspects of national security, reliability, and resilience. Company and Industry lead for all hazard strategy(ies), effects and methodology(ies) development and implementation. Externally works and partners with electric industry, critical infrastructure owners and operators from various sectors/subsectors, government entities including the White House National Security Council, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Office of National Cyber Director (ONCD), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies actively engaged on reliability and resilience relating to critical infrastructure.

Michele has a B.S. degree in Computer and Information Systems, an A.S. degree in Business Administration, both degrees from King's College and graduate studies in Emergency in Preparedness and Planning from University of California at Berkeley. Michele received her certification as a Certified Business Continuity Professional in 1995 from the Disaster Recovery Institute International.

Michele is the 2024 is the recipient of the NERC E-ISAC Michael J. Assante Award for work across the energy industry and security.

Drew Hanchett
Chief Health Information Officer (CHIO) Office of Health Information Management, NYS Department of Health

Drew Hanchett joined the department in March of 2023. In this role he is broadly responsible for governance and oversight of technology investment to support delivery of the mission and business goals of the department’s myriad of programs. The domains of responsibility for his office include project governance, cybersecurity, data and operations. Prior to coming to DOH Drew served in the Office of Information Technology Services as the Executive Director for the environment, energy, and transformation portfolio where he was responsible for the provision and delivery of technology support services to several executive agencies including, NYS Parks, DEC, DMV and DOT. Since moving back to NY in 2011 Drew has held several positions in state government including managing enterprise-wide initiatives focused on agency level performance management and running a multi-agency technology initiative that consolidated processes related to starting and running a business in NYS into a single on-line portal. Drew has over 20 years of public sector management experience and received his Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Boston University School of Public Health.

Jason Healey
Director of the SIPA Cyber program

Jason Healey is a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs specializing in cyber risk and conflict. He has taught and mentored hundreds of students who have gone onto careers at the White House, the finance sectors, civil society, and everywhere in between. Prior to Columbia, he was the founding director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council where he created the global “Cyber 9/12” student cyber-policy competition. He is the editor of the first history of conflict in cyberspace, A Fierce Domain: Cyber Conflict, 1986 to 2012. A frequent keynote speaker on these issues, he is rated as a “top-rated” speaker for the RSA Conference and won the inaugural “Best of Briefing Award” at Black Hat.

Jason was a founding member of both the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House (2022) and the first cyber command in the world, the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense in 1998, where he was one of the early pioneers of cyber threat intelligence. During an earlier job in the White House, he was a director for cyber policy, coordinating efforts to secure US cyberspace and critical infrastructure. He created Goldman Sachs’ first cyber incident response capability and later oversaw the bank’s crisis management and business continuity in Asia. He served as the vice chair of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC). He is on the review board of the DEF CON and Black Hat hacker conferences, served on the Defense Science Board task force on cyber deterrence, and is past president and founding board member of the Cyber Conflict Studies Association. He started his career as a US Air Force intelligence officer with jobs at the Pentagon and National Security Agency and is a certified board director (NACD.DC) and information systems security professional (CISSP).

Chris Hetner
Cyber Risk Advisor NACD, Former Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to the SEC Chair

Chris Hetner is a Senior Executive, Board Director, and leader in Cybersecurity recognized for raising cyber risk governance to the Executive Suite and Corporate Board level to protect industries, infrastructures, and economies. He creates operational resilience by aligning robust Cybersecurity strategies with business objectives. Mr. Hetner’s professional judgment combined with a public company perspective and SEC regulatory and investor oversight experience has led to his success in corporate and government roles. Currently, he is the Special Advisor for Cyber Risk for the NACD, Board of Directors for the NACD CT Chapter, Chair of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Council for the NASDAQ Center for Board Excellence, Senior Advisor for BPM, Board of Directors for Simulint, Research Affiliate with MIT Sloan School of Management and Executive Member of the Latino Corporate Director Association.

Throughout his career, Mr. Hetner has created and launched Cybersecurity programs in the public and private sectors. As business functions transfer to the cloud, he has consistently elevated the issue of enterprise-wide preparedness and continuity to Boards and Executive Management teams. The Covid-19 global pandemic has magnified cyber risks across sectors. Based on the growth of the distributed workforce and the increase in the prevalence of bad actors, the threat and severity levels of cyber breaches have become a security and operational resilience priority.

He served as the Senior Cybersecurity Advisor to the Chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and as Head of Cybersecurity for the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examination at the SEC. He also represented the Chair of the SEC as a senior member of the US Department of the Treasury Financial Banking Information Infrastructure Committee. His greatest contributions included vision for and implementation of the first agency wide Cybersecurity governance structure, threat intelligence program, and incident response capabilities. The Cybersecurity framework he implemented improved the National Examination Program’s ability to monitor and respond to Cyber risks and threats across the US Securities market.

Mr. Hetner has also led efforts across financial, regulatory, and government agencies to enhance Cybersecurity coordination in the financial services sector. He successfully led diverse teams, in multiple global locations, through transformative thinking about cyber-risk management, Cybersecurity policy, and regulatory compliance to embrace change and become cultures of action and collaboration. He established governance and risk management structures aligned with strategy and business objectives, while integrating resilience into corporate DNA.

Mr. Hetner’s thought leadership is actively sought by governments, private and public entities, industry associations, and media outlets as the threats to critical infrastructure and economies increase. Throughout his career he has shared hisprofessional expertise by mentoring students at Columbia University, New York University, Fordham School of Law, andPace University.

He is a Certified Information Security Manager (ISACA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (ISC 2 ), and holds a high-level USA security clearance. Mr. Hetner earned a MS, cum laude, in Information Assurance from Norwich University and a BS in Security Management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Governor Kathy Hochul
57th Governor of New York State

Governor Hochul began her career in public service on her local Town Board, before serving as Erie County Clerk and as a Member of Congress for New York’s 26th Congressional District.
As Lieutenant Governor, she chaired the statewide Regional Economic Development Councils, and served as co-chair of the State’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force, Women’s Suffrage Commission, and Child Care Availability Task Force.

Since being sworn into office in 2021, Governor Hochul has led by establishing a bold vision for New York’s future. Governor Hochul has spearheaded comprehensive policies and initiatives to help New Yorkers and their families, while building an economy that is stronger and more inclusive than before. Governor Hochul is making historic investments in the people, places, and things to make that happen – from healthcare workers, small businesses, and working families to infrastructure, education, and workforce development. And in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reckless decisions to strip away abortion rights and strike down commonsense gun regulations, Governor Hochul led the charge in Albany to protect reproductive health care and strengthen gun safety laws, ensuring New York continues to stand as a beacon of hope and freedom for the rest of the nation.

Governor Hochul was born and raised in Western New York. She and her husband, Bill Hochul, are the proud parents of two children and one granddaughter.

Elizabeth Irwin
Director for Strategic Risk, ONCD

Elizabeth Irwin is the Director for Strategic Risk at the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) within the Executive Office of the President (EOP). She is the White House lead for cybersecurity regulatory harmonization and supports the Administration’s work to implement the National Cybersecurity Strategy. Elizabeth came to ONCD from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she served as Acting Director for Risk Management and Resilience in the Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, working with the financial services sector to mitigate malicious cyber activity against financial institutions. Elizabeth previously worked in EOP in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, where she oversaw cyber supply chain risk management and incident response. Prior to OMB, she managed the cyber international affairs portfolio for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Elizabeth began her civil service career at the U.S. Department of Defense as a program and research analyst for the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Northwestern University, a Master of Public Administration in National Security Policy and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and a Master of Arts in Security Studies and Military Operations from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Merit E. Janow
Dean Emerita, SIPA; Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, SIPA and Columbia Law School; and non-executive board chair, MasterCard

Dean Emerita & Professor of Practice, School of Int'l & Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University, Non-executive Chairman, Mastercard - Merit E. Janow is an internationally recognized expert in international trade & investment. She has extensive experience in business, academia & government, with a life long involvement with the Asia-Pacific region. Janow was Dean of the Faculty of SIPA 2013-2021, and remains on the SIPA & Law faculty. She has written three books and numerous articles. Janow has had three periods of government service: from 2003-2008, she was elected as one of the seven Members of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body. From 1997-2000, Janow served as the Executive Director of the first international antitrust advisory committee to the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust. From 1989 to 1993, Janow served as Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan & China in the Executive Office of the President, responsible for implementing U.S. trade policies and leading sectoral trade negotiations with Japan and China. Janow has extensive corporate and nonprofit board experience. She serves as non-executive Chairman of Mastercard and a Director on the American Funds/Capital group and Aptiv Corp. She was previously Chair of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Janow also serves on the Board of Japan Society (chair), among several others. Early in her career, Janow was a corporate M&A lawyer with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in NY. She speaks Japanese and has a JD from Columbia Law School & a BA in Asian Studies from University of Michigan.

Sam Kaplan
Senior Director and Assistant General Counsel for Public Policy & Government Affairs at Palo Alto Networks

Sam Kaplan is a senior-level policy, legal and national security professional with over 18 years of experience in the public and private sector. Sam currently serves as Senior Director and Assistant General Counsel for Public Policy & Government Affairs at Palo Alto Networks, where he provides legal advice and guidance on domestic and international legislative, regulatory and policy matters. Sam’s main areas of focus are cybersecurity law, artificial intelligence regulation and governance, privacy and data security, international data flows, and public-private capacity building. Sam comes to Palo Alto Networks from Meta Platforms where he led the team responsible for global product policy on Facebook’s News Feed and News Tab. In that role, he covered a wide range of legal and policy issues including AI/ML fairness, algorithmic transparency, platform integrity, election security, misinformation, and harmful content. Prior to his tenure in the private sector, Sam spent over thirteen-years in the Federal Government, most recently serving in several senior leadership roles in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including as the Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Policy, and the Department’s Chief Privacy Officer. Prior to DHS, Sam worked at the U.S. Department of Justice in a number of law enforcement and national security roles at the Office of Legal Policy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Major Crimes and Narcotics Division at U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Sam additionally served as Counselor to a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, where he oversaw privacy and civil liberties issues within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Sam is a graduate of the University of Denver, Strum College of Law, and has a Masters Degree in International Studies and Homeland Security from the Korbel School of International Studies.

Harry Krejsa
Director of Studies, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology, former Assistant National Cyber Director for Strategy

Harry joined Carnegie Mellon University from the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director where he oversaw cyber and technology strategy for domestic and international policy. While there Harry co-directed the development and rollout of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, led the establishment of national clean energy security priorities, and represented the U.S. government in consultations with foreign partners and the global private sector.

Prior to joining the White House, Harry oversaw strategy and U.S.-China competition for the Department of Defense’s cyber policy office, including the 2018 DoD Cyber Strategy and inaugural Cyber Posture Review. He developed initial military guidance for new offensive authorities to deter and disrupt adversary cyber campaigns, and negotiated “Hunt Forward” joint operations with foreign militaries to root out malware on strategic systems. Upon leaving DoD Harry was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service.

Harry also served as Director of the Integration Cell at the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where he led research on emerging technology trends and their implications for U.S. government policy. He oversaw the Commission’s strategy and policy development on norms and values in technology design, artificial intelligence, election cybersecurity, and China’s influence over strategic technologies. Before joining government, Harry was a fellow at the Center for a New American Security where he researched U.S.-China economic and technology competition, broader Indo-Pacific security strategy, and the interaction of foreign policy with economic trends in the United States.

Harry, hailing from rural Iowa, holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs and a B.A. in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Grinnell College. A Chinese speaker, Harry also studied at Nanjing University in China and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Taiwan.

Nick Leiserson
Assistant National Cyber Director, ONCD

Nick Leiserson is the Assistant National Cyber Director for Cyber Policy and Programs at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). In this role, Leiserson leads ONCD’s national cybersecurity policy development, including critical infrastructure protection, regulatory harmonization, cyber insurance, and implementation of the National Cybersecurity Strategy. He previously served as ONCD’s inaugural Deputy Chief of Staff.

Prior to joining ONCD, Leiserson spent more than a decade on the staff of former Congressman James R. Langevin (RI-02) in various roles, most recently as his Chief of Staff. During his time on Capitol Hill, Leiserson was responsible for advising the Congressman on cybersecurity issues and served as his liaison to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Leiserson also served as the staff lead for the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus.

A Connecticut native, he holds a degree in computer science from Brown University.

Arthur W. Lindo
Deputy Director for Policy in Supervision and Regulation, Federal Reserve Board

Arthur Lindo (Art) is the Deputy Director for Policy in the Federal Reserve Board’s Division of Supervision and Regulation. His principal responsibilities include overseeing the development and assessment of the effectiveness of Board regulations and policies affecting the financial services sector and coordinating the Board’s domestic and international regulatory programs. He also advises the Board on emerging policy matters that have implications for the supervision and regulation of the financial services sector. Art is an active participant in various committees in the Federal Reserve System, U.S. banking sector and international financial sector standard setting bodies.

Art has a BA in Accounting from the Catholic University of America and an MBA in Finance from the George Washington University.

Josh Magri
CEO, Cyber Risk Institute

Joshua Magri is the Founder and CEO of the Cyber Risk Institute. The Cyber Risk Institute’s mission is to advance cybersecurity by creating (and updating) a common framework for cyber security and resilience assessment: The Profile.

Previously, Josh served as Senior Vice President and Counsel for Regulation and Developing Technologies at Bank Policy Institute (BPI)/BITS, where he was the principal architect and co-lead of the FSSCC Cybersecurity Profile initiative. Additionally, in this role, he oversaw regulatory, advocacy, and policy efforts on issues related to cybersecurity, data security and privacy, financial technology (“FinTech”), and developing technologies.

Prior to joining BPI, Josh was the Associate Vice President at the Internet Security Alliance, a multi-sector cybersecurity trade association, where he co-authored the National Association of Corporate Directors’ (NACD) “Cyber-Risk Oversight Handbook.” He also helped develop cybersecurity policy that was largely incorporated into Presidential Executive Order 13636 – Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.

Before moving to the Washington area, Josh was a prosecutor in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. Tenured in both the Appeals and Rackets Bureaus, he handled felony and misdemeanor investigations, prosecutions, and appeals.

Josh graduated Boston College with a B.A. in Economics and earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Fernande Duffly at the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Vishal Misra
Vice Dean Computing and AI, Columbia Engineering

Vishal Misra’s research is in the broad area of modeling and analysis of complex systems. His work includes both developing mechanisms that make networks work better and faster, and also investigating the economic models that underpin the Internet and their impact on public policy like Network Neutrality. His approach to research is to incorporate fundamental theories like control theory, queueing theory, information theory, and game theory in the design and analysis of networks.

Vishal has worked extensively in the design and analysis of congestion control mechanisms, both for the Internet as well as for data centers. His work, based on applying classical control theory to a differential equation-based model that he developed for Internet traffic, has found its way into becoming part of the DOCSIS 3.1 standard for cable modems and is being deployed worldwide. He has also played a very active role in the public policy debates related to Network Neutrality and the strong recent regulations passed by the Indian and Canadian regulatory authorities are in line with a definition of Network Neutrality he has proposed.

He received a BTech from IIT Bombay in 1992, and an MS and PhD from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1996 and 2000 respectively. Fellow of IEEE and ACM. He has been awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Bombay (2019) and a Distinguished Young Alumnus Award by UMass-Amherst College of Engineering (2014).

Anne Neuberger
Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, Executive Office of the President

Ms. Neuberger is the Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology on the National Security Council. Previously, she served as the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Director of Cybersecurity, where she led NSA’s cybersecurity mission, including emerging technology areas like quantum-resistant cryptography. Prior to this role, Ms. Neuberger led NSA’s election security effort and served as Assistant Deputy Director of NSA’s Operations Directorate, overseeing foreign intelligence and cybersecurity operations. She also served as NSA’s first Chief Risk Officer, Director of NSA’s Commercial Solutions Center, Director of the Enduring Security Framework cybersecurity public private partnership, and the Department of the Navy’s Deputy Chief Management Officer. In 2017, Ms. Neuberger was awarded a Presidential Rank Award for her service at the NSA. Before her Government service, Ms. Neuberger was Senior Vice President of Operations at American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, where she directed technology and operations.

Neal Pollard
Former CISO of UBS, SIPA Cyber Adjunct Faculty

Neal Pollard is Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Public and International Affairs, where he teaches graduate courses in cyber as a business risk.  He is also Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Medical School, where he is a founding member of the Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases program.  Previously he was Group Chief Information Security Officer of UBS AG, and has been a partner at two of the Big Four professional services firms.  

Prior to joining the private sector, he spent nearly twenty years in the US Counterterrorism Community as an intelligence officer and defense contractor, where he served planning and operational assignments against terrorist use of nuclear and biological weapons.  In 1996, he co-founded the Terrorism Research Center, Inc., where he was General Counsel and a board director.   He is a member of the Virginia State Bar, and the Council on Foreign Relations.  He is also author of the forthcoming novel Ordinary Spies: A Novel of Central Asian Gastronomy and Nuclear Terrorism.

Brandon Pugh
Director, Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats, R Street Institute

Brandon Pugh is the director and a resident senior fellow for the R Street Institute’s Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats team. In addition to his role at R Street, he serves in the U.S. Army Reserve as a national security law professor and has a background as a paratrooper and international law officer. He is also a nonresident fellow with the Army Cyber Institute at West Point and a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ Research Advisory Board.

Previously, Brandon was legislative counsel for the New Jersey General Assembly Minority Office, focusing on cybersecurity, emerging technology, and privacy policy. He has also worked with the FBI, served as managing editor of the Journal of Law and Cyber Warfare, and held leadership roles in homeland security and school board legislation.

Brandon has delivered congressional testimony, trained congressional staff on cybersecurity, and contributed to critical infrastructure projects. His work has earned him awards from Congress members and a New Jersey governor.

He holds a JD from Rutgers Law School and a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. Brandon is a certified information privacy professional and master continuity practitioner through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., and is admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Brandon lives in New Jersey with his wife, an Air Force pilot.

Ari Schwartz
Managing Director of Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP, former Senior Director, National Security Council

A leading voice in national cybersecurity policy with extensive government and nonprofit sector experience, Ari Schwartz directs Cybersecurity Services for Venable's Cybersecurity Risk Management Group. In this role, Ari guides the establishment of cybersecurity consulting services for Venable, assisting organizations with understanding and developing risk management strategies, including implementation of the Cybersecurity Framework and other planning tools to help minimize risk. Ari also coordinates the Cybersecurity Coalition, a group of leading cybersecurity companies dedicated to educating policymakers on cybersecurity issues and promoting a vibrant marketplace for cybersecurity technology solutions.

Simha Sethumadhavan
Professor, Columbia Engineering

Sethumadhavan is renowned for his "hardware-up" principle, which emphasizes designing secure systems with security as a fundamental requirement. This approach aims to build security and trust directly into hardware, addressing the long-standing issue of layered cybersecurity built on insecure foundations and unrealistic trust assumptions.

His work focuses on preventing hardware backdoors and faults, creating security services rooted in hardware that enable the development of more efficient security software. The hardware-up method enhances the speed and effectiveness of security solutions while improving the trustworthiness of both hardware and software. Additionally, Sethumadhavan has contributed to enhancing energy efficiency in computer systems and reducing the time needed to develop new systems.

He earned a PhD in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and a BE from the University of Madras in 2000. His accolades include an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, an NSF CAREER award, an IBM co-operative research award, and multiple best paper awards in computer security and architecture. His impactful work has led to vulnerability fixes in critical products such as mobile processors and web browsers, and his pioneering efforts in hardware security are being considered by standards organizations. Sethumadhavan also served on the FCC Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee and is the founder of Chip Scan Inc., a company specializing in trustworthy hardware technology.

Rinku Sinha
Cybersecurity Policy Program Director, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Rinku Sinha is a seasoned regulator with over 23 years of supervisory experience covering IT, operational and cyber risks.  Currently serving as the Program Director for the Supervision Group IT/Cybersecurity Policy Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, she leads a team that is responsible for developing and managing cybersecurity policy objectives to advance incident response and recovery from cyber-related events in the financial sector.  Rinku participates in both domestic and international interagency efforts to coordinate, communicate and collaborate during cyber incidents. She also develops incident response playbooks, designs and executes tabletops, and leads efforts to enhance response capabilities. In her previous position at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Rinku supervised the safety and soundness of operational risk programs at the largest financial institutions in the sector. Combining examination experience with policy making, she raises awareness of key cyber risks at financial institutions and supports sector-wide incident preparedness. She holds a Master’s degree from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. 

Kemba Walden
President, Paladin Global Institute, former Acting National Cyber Director

Kemba Walden is an American lawyer and the President of the Paladin Global Institute. Prior to this role, she served as the acting United States National Cyber Director in 2023, after being the inaugural principal deputy since June 2022. At the White House, Walden played a key role in developing and launching the National Cybersecurity Strategy (March 2023) and its Implementation Plan (June 2023). She also executed guidance on cyber priorities for federal budgets for fiscal year 2025 and contributed to the National Cybersecurity Workforce and Education Strategy, which was executed in July 2023.

Walden led U.S.-Cyber Dialogues with Singapore and Ukraine and represented the U.S. in international cyberfora, including Cyber UK and the OAS Cybersecurity Summit. In 2023, she highlighted cybersecurity’s importance in global national security discussions at the Munich Security Conference.

Before her government service, Walden was an Assistant General Counsel in Microsoft’s digital crimes unit, where she launched the counter ransomware program. She also spent a decade at the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on election security and the financial and energy sectors. As an inaugural member of the Cyber Safety Review Board, she reviewed significant vulnerabilities and provided cybersecurity improvement recommendations.

Walden continues to serve as a co-chair of the Ransomware Task Force and serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies teaching a graduate level course entitled “Information Security Laws and Regulatory Compliance.” She holds a B.A. from Hampton University, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Beau Woods
Founder, Stratigos Security and Cyber Safety Advocate, I Am The Cavalry

Beau Woods helps bridge the gap between the security research and public policy communities, to ensure connected technology that can impact life and safety is worthy of our trust. Over the past several years, he has consulted with the healthcare, automotive, aviation, rail, and IoT industries, as well as cyber security researchers, US congressional offices, the White House, and other US and international policy makers.

Beau is a leader with the I Am The Cavalry grassroots initiative, and Founder/CEO of Stratigos Security, and a Cyber Safety Innovation Fellow with the Atlantic Council. Beau also sits on the board of several non-profit organizations and leads initiatives like Hackers on the Hill and Policy @ DEF CON.

Beau recently served as a Senior Advisor with CISA where he develops strategy for the CISA COVID Task Force, an Entrepreneur in Residence with the US Food and Drug Administration, and was formerly Managing Principal Consultant and Solutions Architect for Dell SecureWorks. Beau is a frequent presenter, media contributor, and author, and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS in Psychology.

Evan D. Wolff
Partner, Crowell & Moring, SIPA Cyber Adjunct Faculty

Evan D. Wolff is a partner at Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., co-chair of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, and a member of the Government Contracts Group. He has a strong reputation for his technical expertise in cybersecurity legal and policy matters. Drawing from his experience as a scientist, program manager, and attorney, Evan develops innovative legal and governance solutions to address evolving cybersecurity threats. He has led incident simulations, training, and investigations for numerous data breaches while working closely with forensic teams.

Evan advises businesses on privacy compliance issues, including the EU GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). His practice encompasses regulatory compliance for sectors such as government contracting, energy, and healthcare, focusing on frameworks like DFARS, Privacy Shield, and the SAFETY Act. Prior to private practice, he advised senior leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and held various positions, including principal homeland security policy analyst at The MITRE Corporation.

Evan has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2017 and serves on several advisory boards, including the Sandia National Lab External Advisory Board and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Security Task Force. He is co-chair of the ABA Homeland Security Law Institute and has taught Cybersecurity at Columbia University.

Recognized by *The Best Lawyers in America* in Privacy and Data Security Law, Evan co-authored an award-winning article on cybersecurity collaborations. Evan is currently teaching a class on Cybersecurity at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and has previously been an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law, a global fellow with the Wilson Center, and a senior advisor to The Chertoff Group, a global security advisory firm based in Washington, D.C.

Josephine Wolff
Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, Tufts University

Josephine Wolff is an associate professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. Her research interests include liability for cybersecurity incidents, cyber-insurance, government responses to cyberattacks, and the economics of information security. She is the author of two books: "You'll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches" (MIT Press, 2018) and "Cyberinsurance Policy: Rethinking Risk in an Age of Ransomware, Computer Fraud, Data Breaches, and Cyberattacks" (MIT Press, 2022). Her writing on cybersecurity has also appeared in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Wired. Prior to joining Fletcher, she was an assistant professor of public policy and computing security at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a fellow at the New America Cybersecurity Initiative and Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Keren Yarhi-Milo
Dean of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations

Dr. Keren Yarhi-Milo is the dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations. She is a world-renowned and award-winning expert in international security and crisis decision-making and the youngest dean in SIPA’s history. Yarhi-Milo joined the tenured faculty at Columbia University in 2019 after a decade at Princeton University. Before becoming dean in July 2022, Yarhi-Milo served for two years as director of SIPA’s Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. As a scholar and professor, Yarhi-Milo bridges the worlds of academia and policy, focusing predominantly on how leaders make foreign policy decisions regarding the use of force. Her work draws on cutting-edge methods and theoretical insights from psychology, organizational theory, and behavioral economics. Her research also delves into the complexities of signaling and (mis)perception in world politics, threat assessments and intelligence analysis, the role of secrecy and deception in foreign policy, and the importance of face-to-face diplomacy. She is the author of two award-winning books: Who Fights for Reputation? The Psychology of Leaders in International Conflict (Princeton, 2018), and Knowing The Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence Organizations, and Assessments of Intentions in International Relations (Princeton, 2014) and has published extensively in the top academic journals in the field of political science and in publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, and Foreign Affairs.