News / Commentary

COMMENTARY: Jake Braun — Serious cyberthreats to consider for Election Day

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In the lead up to the 2020 general election, Jake Braun, Executive Director of at the University of Chicago’s Cyber Policy Initiative and author of “Democracy in Danger: How Hackers and Activists Exposed Fatal Flaws in the Election System,” offered commentary on the state of mail-in-voting, the possibilities of online voting, and election security.

In an interview with co-host of CyberHub Engage James Azar, and Synack co-founder Mark Kuhr, Braun said, “We need to bring together democratic countries to fight against [election interference] and publicly call it out so when this happens in France or Germany, all of the democratic … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Should the U.S. Government Own America’s 5G Network?

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This article, by Christoper Burnham, originally appeared in Real Clear Defense on October 19, 2020.

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) exploring the creation of a government-owned and operated 5G network, tapping its mid-band spectrum currently used for naval operations. While there is a new national imperative for this prime 5G spectrum—to provide 5G networking and communications to the entire country—there is nothing good (and much bad) that would come from the government owning America’s 5G network.

The U.S. government has been auctioning off spectrum since 1994 to the private sector. From this, … Read More

COMMENTARY: Jake Braun – The two most serious vulnerabilities lie in voter registration databases and election night returns data

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In a recent discussion with Virginia’s WTKR, Jake Braun, Executive Director at the University of Chicago’s Cyber Policy Initiative and author of “Democracy in Danger: How Hackers and Activists Exposed Fatal Flaws in the Election System,” offered his insights into the state of cybersecurity for the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

“Braun says the two most serious vulnerabilities lie in voter registration databases and election night returns data. He says the hacking of either could cause chaos at the polls or spawn conspiracy theories about the election’s outcome.

‘We’re already seeing ransomware attacks on databases and we’re already seeing things … Read More

PERSPECTIVE: Critical National Security Implications in ITC’s 5G Patent Review

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The following article, by Christopher Burnham, former Under Secretary General for Management of the United Nations, originally appeared in Homeland Security Today on July 29, 2020.

In March, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) was asked to investigate an obscure patent complaint by a recently created foreign company that has the potential to stall American advancement in the race to 5G and provoke significant national security repercussions. Given that the development of 5G could transform the global distribution of power by stimulating the fourth technological revolution, the United States has every incentive to dedicate their extensive resources to … Read More

COMMENTARY: Nate Snyder Joins Experts in Highlighting a Major Consequence of The Trump Administration’s Unbalanced Response to Recent Protests

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Nate Snyder, a former counterintelligence senior official at the Department of Homeland Security, joins experts in a Vanity Fair article criticizing the Trump administration’s asymmetric approaches to recent social unrest. In it, they address Trump’s aggressive responses against racial-justice protests in Portland and link the absence of those concerning state-shutdown order protests to the growing prominence of white nationalist groups. 

Snyder, now a Senior Advisor at Cambridge Global Advisors, helps shed light on how the administration’s lack of response to extremist activities could be seen as a sign of public endorsement to fringe right-wing groups like the Proud Boys and … Read More

COMMENTARY: General Francis Taylor – Homeland security is critical as hurricane season makes waves

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General Francis Taylor, a Global Cyber Policy Watch advisory board member, proposes several critical reforms to better prepare the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address the evolving threats to American security in a new op-ed for The Hill. 

As Former Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, General Taylor is well-versed in security and counterterrorism issues. In his article, he illustrates the ways in which the history and design of DHS prevents it from rapidly adapting to address challenges other than terrorism. General Taylor suggests that DHS implement overarching reforms to gain greater control over its departments, construct … Read More

COMMENTARY: Jake Braun – A Perfect Storm of Vulnerabilities Could Determine the 2020 Election

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Jake Braun, former White House Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, outlines the four greatest weaknesses of our election ecosystem in a new article for the Boston Review. 

As the Director of the Cyber Policy Initiative at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, Mr. Braun specializes in cyber, national, and election security. In his article, he explains that flawed infrastructure, conspiracies, vulnerability to system hacks, and susceptibility to trolls all dangerously compound the effect of one another. Rather than confront each of these threats individually, he offers a number of recommendations to address the vulnerabilities … Read More

COMMENTARY: Douglas E. Lute – Trump’s Use of Military This Week is Unacceptable. “We are now at a point where real damage is being done.”

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Douglas E. Lute, a retired 3-star general and current CEO of Cambridge Global Advisors, adds his voice to the group of retired military leaders who are condemning President Trump’s recent use of the military to disband peaceful protests. 

Formerly the United States Ambassador to the North Atlantic Council, General Lute discusses with Rachel Maddow the deterioration of the President’s relationship with the traditionally apolitical military establishment and how the recent handling of protests in Lafayette Park represents the most serious step in the wrong direction. This week, Lute explains, “we saw the prospect where American active duty soldiers might be … Read More

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