ISSO

Conference on Cyber Regulation

Friday, 17 October 2025

Cyber Regulation and the Electrical Grid

Friday, 17 October 2025  |  8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

This event, co-hosted by Columbia SIPA, Venable LLP and the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law, will convene in New York City, bringing together leaders from government, industry, and academia to address the growing cybersecurity challenges facing the electrical grid, particularly from a regulatory perspective.

This year’s program will focus on the evolving threat landscape, regulatory coordination, and the policy and technology challenges shaping grid security. 

Register below to be part of this conversation! 

Register

Location: Venable LLP at 151 W 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036
In-person and virtual attendance options available.

Agenda

8:15am-9am Breakfast and Registration
9am-9:15am Welcome by Caitlin M. Clarke, Venable and Erva Kan, Columbia SIPA
9:15am-10:00am Threat Brief: Kristine Martz, Dragos
10:00am-11:00am

Panel I: Update on Cyber Regulation and the Grid
This panel will explore the latest in cybersecurity regulation for the electrical grid, in particular entity compliance with standards. The new National Cyber Director has said that “regulation is important; it’s in many cases vital but the government needs to “streamline the regulatory burden around cybersecurity.” Panelists will explore key questions, such as how is this likely to play out for energy, how will states get involved for local distribution, and what do those closest to the problem, the electricity companies, recommend?

Jeff Baumgartner, SVP and CSO, Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Rich Ward, Senior Policy Advisor, Venable
Michele Guido, Strategic Policy Director, Southern Company 
11:00am-11:15am Break and Networking
11:15am-12:15pm

Panel II: Balancing Regulation for Competing Pressures: Security, Resilience, AI Demand, and Clean Energy
Regulators and electricity companies are getting torn between competing demands. The activities of the Volt Typhoon cyber-threat actors means cybersecurity needs to be an increasing priority to protect the grid, but investments are needed for general resilience as well. At the same time demand is booming with perhaps 100GW of new peak hour capacity needed for AI and other needs, while de-investing in coal and natural gas plants and getting connection approval for cleaner sources. This panel will examine these demands and discuss the best ways to ensure requirements for cybersecurity do not get ignored.

Kate Mabbett, American Electric Power,  Director of Security Strategy & Financial Planning
Sean Ewart, Assistant Secretary for Energy, New York State
Kyle Pfieffer, Senior Advisor for National Security and Emerging Risk, Southern California Edison
Moderator: Caitlin M. Clarke, Senior Director for Cybersecurity Services, Venable
 
12:15pm-12.30pm Closing Remarks

 

Previous Conferences

  • The first Conference on Cyber Regulation and Harmonization will take place on 13-14 November 2024 at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

    This event, co-hosted by Columbia SIPA and New York State will discuss regulation of cybersecurity, especially regulatory harmonization.

    In the United States, both the White House and Congress have prioritized regulations and harmonization while the European Union is advancing major new regulations, like NIS2. Featuring keynotes by high-level officials and panels on the latest in cyber regulation, this conference is a must-attend event.

    For biographies of speakers and panelists, as well as links to the recordings, refer to the event website here.

    Day 1 

    9:00 – 9:05am

    Welcome Remarks

    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 
    9:10 – 10:15am

    The State of Cyber Regulation

    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 
    10:15 – 10:45am

    Networking Break

    Sponsored by Columbia University's Data Science Institute. Coffee area will feature a poster session on cyber-regulation research 
    10:45 – 11:15am

    Fireside 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
    11:15 – 12:00pm

    Spotlight Interview

    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)
    12:00 – 1:30pm

    Lunch and Keynote

    Harry Coker, National Cyber Director 
    1:30 – 2:30pm

    Harmonization of Cyber regulations

    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
    2:30 – 3:00pm

    Networking Break

    Break area will feature a poster session on cyber-regulation research by Adam Hastings and Professor Simha Sethumadhavan (Columbia Engineering)
    3:00 – 4:00pm

    Cyber Regulation and Harmonization: Finance Sector

    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
    4:00 – 5:00pm

    Cyber AI Regulations

    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
    5:00 – 5:45pm

    Networking Social

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

    Day 2

    9:00 – 9:05am

    Welcome 

    Vishal Misra, Vice Dean Computing and AI, Columbia Engineering
    Jason Healey, Director, SIPA Cyber
    9:05 – 9:45am

    Fireside Conversation on Regulation and Harmonization

    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
    9:45 – 10:45am

    Regulating Healthcare Cybersecurity

    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
    10:45 – 11:15am

    Networking Break

    Break area will feature a poster session on cyber regulation research.
    11:15 – 12:15pm

    Regulating Cybersecurity for the Energy Transition

    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
    12:15pm

    Closing Remarks

    Jason Healey, Director, SIPA Cyber