News / Commentary

COMMENTARY: Jane Holl Lute – Now Is The Perfect Time For A Cyberattack. Here’s How To Stop One.

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Former Senior Advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors, Jane Holl Lute, outlines the heightened risk of cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic in a new op-ed for The Washington Post.

Ms. Lute, a former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and an expert on cybersecurity who currently serves on the board of the Center for Internet Security, explains why the upending of daily life in recent months has raised concerns regarding the United States’ preparedness for a cyber assault on corporate networks and how actors can mitigate risks as millions of Americans adjust to working remotely.

The article, which was co-written with … Read More

COMMENTARY: General Frank Taylor & Nate Snyder Speak To The Trump Administration’s Expansive New Watchlist

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General Frank Taylor and Nate Snyder weighed in on the White House’s new national security watchlist in a recent Newsweek article, both highlighting concerns over the loose criteria necessary to add individuals to the list.

Taylor, a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force and current Senior Advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors, questions the constitutionality of the policy, which does not require evidence of unlawful behavior in order to list private citizens alongside terrorists and international criminals. General Taylor draws parallels between the watchlist and the oppressive actions of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under the leadership … Read More

COMMENTARY: NATE SNYDER – Corona highlights there is no substitute for rigorous preparedness

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Nate Snyder, a senior advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors and former expert on counterintelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the need for companies to heed the lessons of COVID-19 and dedicate themselves to addressing emerging threats and investing in cyber protections and tripwires. Snyder’s argument is one calling for swift and efficient action.

He stated, “Once the cat is out of the bag in regard to sensitive information leaking, you either immediately work to mitigate the situation at breakneck speed or the vulnerability will metastasize with even much worse consequences.”

Snyder pointed to an Oklahoma energy infrastructure company … Read More

COMMENTARY: Doug Lute Featured on “The General and the Ambassador” Podcast

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What is the role of diplomacy and of the military in building alliances, in addressing the challenges of China and Russia, and of the grey zone including cyberspace? How can the huge imbalance of resources between the Department of Defense and the Department of State be righted? What happens to public service when it is denigrated?

On March 13th, Ambassador Douglas Lute appeared as a guest on The General and the Ambassador podcast to discuss this and more.

Listen to the full conversation here.

… Read More

COMMENTARY: Doug Lute — NATO Needs Strong U.S. Leadership

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On December 2nd, NPR’s David Greene spoke with Global Cyber Policy Watch board member and form Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, to glean his insights into the challenges that NATO is facing. This discussion comes after French President Emmanuel Macron called the alliance “brain-dead,” a claim that has received criticism from world leaders, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and – more recently – Turkish President Erdogan.

Ambassador Lute pointed to unreliable White House leadership as the greatest disruption to NATO’s objectives, which has undermined the alliance’s mission by questioning its value.

The 29 NATO member countries will convene at the 2019

… Read More

COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder — Huawei Is Looking For “Any Way” To Expand Its Tech Footprint

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Nate Snyder, a senior advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors and former expert on counterintelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the U.S.’s forthcoming ban on Huawei technology in a recent interview with CapitalWatch. Snyder expressed his skepticism with the Chinese telecommunications company’s lofty financial projections despite its inability to supply to the U.S: “In anticipation of the U.S. ban, perhaps they’re not telling the full story. They want to be able to show to end-users, customers and investors that their business is not being impacted.”

In addition to addressing discussions surrounding the potential for easing restrictions on Huawei, … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: 5G — Investing in a Smarter Alternative

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This article, by Chris Cummiskey, originally appeared in Nextgov on October 25, 2019. 

The evolving cyber threat that the United States is facing—as a result of the global race to 5G—should be at the front of our minds. It’s easy to get excited about 5G and all of its promises: less latency, faster transmission speeds, and a greater ability to handle the billions of devices relying on the network. Not to mention, the possibility for self-driving cars and augmented virtual reality experiences has never been more real. However, our infrastructure is now exposed to a whole new realm of exploitation … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Strategic Infiltration and China’s 5G Threat

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This piece, by Douglas Lute, originally appeared in Homeland Security Today on October 21, 2019. 

 

The advent of fifth-generation digital communications – 5G – is a topic of hot debate across the world. 5G promises game-changing advances for states, industry, and individual citizens, but also introduces greater risk of security challenges. The excitement around the anticipated 5G network improvements can distract from an important, more strategic consideration.

European Union member states recently released a coordinated report in which they assess the security vulnerabilities associated with 5G, and their findings shouldn’t be ignored. Organizations and nation-states should avoid relying on … Read More

COMMENTARY: Former DHS Officials React to EU 5G Risk Assessment Released Yesterday

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Yesterday, the 28 EU member states published a highly-anticipated comprehensive risk assessment exploring the security risks associated with 5G networks. The report highlights the security challenges connected to suppliers’ role in developing 5G networks and the vulnerabilities stemming from reliance on individual, state-backed suppliers. U.S. officials have been stressing the importance of a coordinated approach to 5G security measures, and the EU has demonstrated through this assessment that it is taking a step in the right direction.

Governor Tom Ridge, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd governor of Pennsylvania, and Nate Snyder, senior counterterrorism official with the U.S. … Read More

COMMENTARY: Chris Cummiskey and Nate Snyder — Cooperation And Standards Setting Is Key To Secure 5G Technology

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On September 29, Government Matters hosted former DHS officials and GCPW advisory board members, Chris Cummiskey and Nate Snyder, to talk about the global 5G network and the implications of Huawei’s involvement. 

Former Under Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cummiskey explained the advantage that China currently has over the U.S. in terms of developing this new technology and marketing its low-cost, proprietary software around the world in an effort to dominate the 5G landscape. He urged private and public sector stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that we safeguard the supply  chain from foreign actors who … Read More