The 2023 GW Business & Policy Forum: Attacking Cybersecurity Risks

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Policy and Industry Leaders Shape the Future of Cybersecurity

April 25, 2023

Emerging technologies have become a dominant force in our society — driving economics, policy and culture, and accounting for more than US$40 trillion in global nominal GDP. On April 25, 2023, those driving forces became the focus of global leaders from both the private and public sectors as they came together at the George Washington University for the first annual GW Business & Policy Forum.

The theme for this inaugural forum was Attacking Cybersecurity Risks. Participants gained invaluable insights and opportunities for interaction as we addressed the most significant issues related to this ever-evolving landscape and the profound implications they have for global business, markets and regulation.

The GW Business & Policy Forum was launched with support from the George Washington University School of Business Advisory Council. 

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Speakers

Michael Atkinson

Partner, Crowell & Moring
 

Read Mr. Atkinson's Bio

Michael K. Atkinson is a partner at Crowell & Moring, LLP in Washington, D.C., where he co-leads the firm’s National Security Practice Group. Previously, Michael was the presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed inspector general of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Michael also served in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Justice spanning two decades. He is currently a professorial lecturer in law at the George Washington University Law School on Artificial Intelligence Law & Policy.

Nicolás Ávila

Chief Technology Officer, Globant North America

Read Mr. Ávila's Bio

As the chief technology officer for Globant North America, Nicolás Ávila leverages Globant's technical expertise to find the most innovative solutions for the world’s leading companies. Nicolás is a software engineer by training, and his experience with Globant has led him to live and work in seven cities on transformational projects for some of the company’s top clients, from entertainment and ed-tech to life sciences and financial services.

Mitch Blaser

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mosaic Insurance
 

Read Mr. Blaser's Bio

Mitch Blaser has more than 40 years of accomplishments in international insurance markets. He is co-founder and co-CEO of global insurer Mosaic, which has seven highly-specialized lines of business including cybersecurity. Mitch was a founding executive of Ironshore in 2006, which became a worldwide property and casualty carrier before it was acquired by Liberty Mutual in 2017. Mitch has a BBA degree from the George Washington University, where he has chaired the School of Business advisory board for the past 30 years.

Tom Burt

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft
 

Read Mr. Burt's Bio

Tom Burt leads a cross-disciplinary team that works to improve customer trust in the safety and security of the digital ecosystem by advocating for global cybersecurity policy, partnering with public agencies and private enterprises to disrupt nation-state cyberattacks and support deterrence efforts, and combatting cybercrime.

Valerie M. Cofield

Chief Strategy Officer, The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Read Ms. Cofield's Bio

Valerie M. Cofield serves as the chief strategy officer of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Ms. Cofield serves as the principal policy and strategic adviser to CISA leadership and senior management, integrating strategy across all the organization’s mission areas and ensuring policy, strategy, and operational consistency throughout the agency.

Chris Cummiskey

CEO, Cummiskey Strategic Solutions, LLC
 

Read Mr. Cummiskey's Bio

Chris Cummiskey is the chief executive officer of Cummiskey Strategic Solutions, a firm that specializes in cyber, homeland security, government technology and acquisition consulting. Mr. Cummiskey serves as a strategic advisor to federal agencies, private sector companies and boards of directors. Mr. Cummiskey has 24 years of government experience in senior leadership positions at both the federal and state levels, including as an Under Secretary at DHS, a state senator, and a state CIO.

Robert Cunningham

Vice Chancellor of Research Infrastructure, University of Pittsburgh

Read Dr. Cunningham's Bio

Robert Cunningham serves as vice chancellor for research infrastructure at the University of Pittsburgh. He is responsible for the strategic leadership of the research infrastructure and also serves as deputy director of special initiatives, including as executive director of the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute. His research has explored machine learning, image processing and understanding, computer intrusion detection, systems security and privacy, and software engineering. Cunningham has patented security-related technology, presented and published widely, and chaired the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative.

Dominic Delmolino

Vice President of Field Technology and Engineering, Amazon Web Services

Read Mr. Delmolino's Bio

Dominic Delmolino is the vice president of Field Technology and Engineering for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Worldwide Public Sector. He is responsible for the oversight, strategy and definition of AWS field technical offerings and activities supporting public sector customers while advocating on their behalf for AWS feature development. In his career, Delmolino has assisted government and commercial clients in the application of leading edge data management, analysis, and software engineering solutions. In addition to a B.S. in Computer Science from Cornell University, Delmolino has a Master in Information and Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He currently oversees AWS public sector efforts in the cloud and emerging technology space, including the deployment and configuration of responsible artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and large-scale cloud-based DevOps architectures.

Yosha DeLong

Global Head of Cyber, Mosaic Insurance
 

Read Ms. DeLong's Bio

Yosha R. DeLong is the global head of cyber at Mosaic Insurance, where she is responsible for the coordination, development and oversight of the cyber line of business on a global basis.

She has more than 26 years of experience in the insurance industry, having worked as both an underwriter and broker in the U.S. and London, England marketplaces.

Mark Gerencser

Chairman of the Board, Business Executives for National Security

Read Mr. Gerencser's Bio

Mark J. Gerencser is chairman of the board of Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Previously, he spent more than 30 years with Booz Allen Hamilton. Consulting Magazine named him among the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants in the World and ExecutiveBiz named him among the Top 10 Game Changers in Washington, D.C. Gerencser earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University and an MS in Technology Management from UMUC.

Dan Helfrich

Chairman and CEO, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

Read Mr. Helfrich's Bio

Dan Helfrich leads a growing team of 80,000+ professionals who help clients innovatively face today's most complex issues. A pioneer in purpose-driven leadership, Dan harnesses the collective, diversified power of his team to create lasting value for clients and society. He is an advocate for inclusive culture and continuous innovation and empowers his teams to challenge orthodoxies, collaborate across borders, and take a modern and nimble approach to problem-solving.

Meg King

Executive Dir. for Strategy, Policy Coordination and Innovation, DHS

Read Ms. King's Bio

Meg King is the executive director for strategy, policy coordination and innovation at the Transportation Security Administration. Previously, she was director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. There, she founded technology labs that provide cutting-edge training programs, equipping generations of Congressional and Executive branch staff with a better base of technology knowledge. King was also a senior staff member at the Department of Defense and in the House of Representatives.

Margaret Martonosi

Assistant Director, CISE, The U.S. National Science Foundation

Read Dr. Martonosi's Bio

Margaret Martonosi is the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) assistant director for computer and information science and engineering (CISE). With an annual budget of more than $1B, the CISE directorate at NSF has the mission to uphold the nation’s leadership in scientific discovery and engineering innovation through its support of fundamental research and education in computer and information science and engineering as well as transformative advances in research cyberinfrastructure.

Adam Mattina

Managing Director and Portfolio CISO, Blackstone

Read Mr. Mattina's Bio

Adam Mattina is a managing director in Blackstone’s Technology and Innovations group and is the firm’s portfolio chief information security officer. Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Mattina managed operations, training and recruitment of a global team of information security experts within the United States Department of Defense. Mr. Mattina received an MBA from the George Washington University and graduated with honors from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Catherine Mulligan

Enterprise Client Leader, Aon
 

Read Ms. Mulligan's Bio

Catherine Mulligan is an enterprise client leader with Aon’s Enterprise Client Group, structuring solutions for key clients to enable their global strategies around all aspects of the business. She joined Aon in 2017 as global co-head of cyber for Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions. Previously, she served as head of professional liability at Zurich North America. She is a key contributor to the public sector dialogue around cyber insurance. Catherine first began working in the industry in 1997.

Joseph Nemec

Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
 

Read Dr. Nemec's Bio

Dr. Joseph Nemec is a managing director and the current head of Cyber, Technology and Information Security Risk Management for Morgan Stanley's U.S. banks. Past roles at Morgan Stanley include EMEA head of Cyber, Technology and Information Security Risk Management and executive director of Technology and Information Risk.

David Sanger

White House & National Security Correspondent, The New York Times

Read Mr. Sanger's Bio

David E. Sanger is a White House and national security correspondent, and a senior writer. In a four-decade-long reporting career for The New York Times, he has been on three teams that have won Pulitzer Prizes, most recently in 2017 for international reporting. His newest book, “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage and Fear in the Cyber Age,’’ and an HBO documentary by the same title, examine the emergence of cyberconflict and its role in changing the nature of global power.

Phyllis Schneck

Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Northrop Grumman

Read Dr. Schneck's Bio

Dr. Phyllis Schneck is vice president and chief information security officer for Northrop Grumman, where she oversees the company’s global cybersecurity strategy and policies and is responsible for the digital security of the company’s products, services and infrastructures. Schneck has 20 years of government and private-sector experience in senior cybersecurity positions, including deputy undersecretary for cybersecurity and communications for the Department of Homeland Security, and she holds several information-security and technology patents.

Renata Spinks

Assistant IT Director/Deputy CIO of IC4, Headquarters Marine Corps

Read Ms. Spinks's Bio

Renata Spinks currently serves as the Assistant IT Director/Deputy CIO of Information, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (IC4) at Headquarters Marine Corps. In this capacity, she also serves as the Department of Navy (DON) Deputy Senior Information Security Officer for the Marine Corps. While serving at MARFORCYBER, Ms. Spinks was the nation’s first Cyber Technology Officer. In this role, she deployed cyber based technology and served as the Executive Sponsor for intelligence informed Defense Cyber Operations (DCO) and is responsible for transitioning the USMC to a mobile workforce using Microsoft O365 in record timing. Prior to her assignment to MARFORCYBER, her federal career path included serving in the U.S. Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

Amanda Suárez

Sr. Strategy and Research Advisor, White House Office of the National Cyber Dir.

Read Ms. Suárez's Bio

Amanda Suárez is a senior strategy and research advisor at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. Previously, she served as a Russia-Ukraine country director and cyber policy advisor at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Amanda also worked as a cybersecurity researcher at CrowdStrike and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique. She holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a B.A. in Political Science and Hispanic Studies from Columbia University.

Elham Tabassi

Associate Director for Emerging Technologies, NIST

Read Ms. Tabassi's Bio

Elham Tabassi is a senior research scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the associate director for emerging technologies in the Information Technology Laboratory. She leads NIST's Trustworthy and Responsible AI program. She is a member of the National AI Resource Research Task Force, the vice chair of the OECD working party on AI Governance, the associate editor of IEEE Transaction on Information Forensics and Security, and a fellow of the Washington Academy of Sciences.

Connie Uthoff

Director, Cybersecurity Strategy & Info. Management Program, GW

Read Ms. Uthoff's Bio

Connie Peterson Uthoff is the program director of the Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management degree program at the College of Professional Studies at the George Washington University. She is an instructor in the program and is the author of the book Cyber Intelligence: Actors, Policies and Practices. She writes and lectures extensively in areas related to cybersecurity, cyber intelligence and risk, with a focus on emerging technologies.

Hans Vestberg

Chairman and CEO, Verizon
 

Read Mr. Vestberg's Bio

Hans Vestberg is chairman and chief executive officer of Verizon, the world’s largest wireless, fiber-optic and global information networks and services company. In 2017, Hans served as Verizon’s chief technology officer and president of Global Networks, responsible for developing the architecture for Verizon’s fiber-centric networks. He was appointed CEO in August 2018 and Chairman of Verizon’s Board of Directors in March 2019.

Sudha Vyas

Chief Cybersecurity Architect, DOD CIO for Cybersecurity

Read Ms. Vyas's Bio

Ms. Sudha Vyas assumed the position of chief cybersecurity architect for the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity in December 2020. She is responsible for the department’s Cybersecurity Reference Architecture and strengthening the collaboration and partnership across government and industry.

Kent Walker

President, Global Affairs, Google
 

Read Mr. Walker's Bio

Kent Walker is the president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet, where he oversees the teams responsible for legal matters, government affairs, content policy and philanthropy.

Mark Warner

United States Senator from Virginia
 

Read Mr. Warner's Bio

Sen. Mark Robert Warner was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2008 and reelected to a third term in November 2020. He serves as chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and as a member of the Senate Finance, Banking, Budget, and Rules Committees.

Jason Witty

Chief Security Officer, USAA
 

Read Mr. Witty's Bio

Jason Witty serves as the chief security officer (CSO) accountable for information security, physical security, privacy, operational resiliency, crisis management and corporate investigations across USAA, which provides insurance, investing and banking solutions to members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served, and their families. Jason is an award-winning CIO/CISO and a certified Information Systems Security Management Professional (ISSMP) with more than 28 years of experience in technology and information risk management.

Julian Zottl

Chief Technology Officer for Cyber Protection Solutions, Raytheon

Read Mr. Zottl's Bio

Julian Zottl is the chief technology officer for cyber protection solutions within Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business. He is also a Cyber and Information Operations (IO) Subject Matter Expert (SME) and is considered a world expert in large-scale Computer Network Defense (CND).

 

 

 

 

 

 

GW Leadership

Christopher Alan Bracey

Provost & Executive VP for Academic Affairs, The George Washington University

Read Dr. Bracey's Bio

Christopher Alan Bracey, J.D., is an internationally recognized expert who teaches and researches in the areas of the legal history of U.S. race relations, constitutional law, criminal procedure, civil procedure, and civil rights. He is the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs as well as a professor of law at the George Washington University. A magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina, Professor Bracey received his law degree from Harvard Law School.

John Lach

Dean, The GW School of Engineering and Applied Science

Read Dr. Lach's Bio

John Lach, Ph.D., is the dean of the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science. His primary research areas are cyber-physical systems, smart and connected health, and body sensor networks. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and has been the principal or co-principal investigator on more than 35 grants totaling over $57 million. Dr. Lach received his B.S. degree from Stanford University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from UCLA.

Dayna Bowen Matthew

Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, GW Law

Read Dr. Matthew's Bio

Dayna Bowen Matthew, J.D., Ph.D., is the dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law at GW Law. A leader in public health and civil rights law who focuses on disparities in health, health care, and the social determinants of health, Dean Matthew joined GW Law in 2020. Dean Matthew graduated with an AB in economics from Harvard-Radcliffe and obtained a JD from the University of Virginia. She received a Ph.D. in health and behavioral sciences from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Anuj Mehrotra

Dean, The GW School of Business
 

Read Dr. Mehrotra's Bio

Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D., has served as dean of the GW School of Business since July 2018. His research interests are in large-scale optimization and interdisciplinary applications. Dean Mehrotra received his doctoral degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology, his master’s degree from Virginia Tech, and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India.

Irina Orlova

Asst. Dean, Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects, The GW School of Business

Read Dr. Orlova's Bio

Irina Orlova, Ed.D., is the assistant dean for strategic initiatives and special projects at the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB). In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of new initiatives, representing the dean to internal and external stakeholders including the GWSB board of advisors and corporate council. Dr. Orlova also spearheads the administrative aspects of the school’s strategic planning and AACSB accreditation review and coordinates GWSB rankings activity.

Liesl Riddle

Dean, The GW College of Professional Studies
 

Read Dr. Riddle's Bio

Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., is the dean of George Washington University College of Professional Studies (CPS). As dean, she oversees workforce development, bachelor's completion, and master’s and executive programs designed to empower students to make an impact in various industries, including cybersecurity. She also leads several innovative schools and centers, including the Cyber Academy, the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, and the Graduate School of Political Management.

Mark S. Wrighton

President, The George Washington University

Read Dr. Wrighton's Bio

Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D., is the president of the George Washington University and on sabbatical from Washington University in St. Louis, where he served as chancellor for 24 years and is the James and Mary Wertsch Distinguished University Professor and chancellor emeritus. He received the distinguished MacArthur Prize and has authored more than 300 articles in professional and scholarly journals. He holds 16 patents and is co-author of a book, Organometallic Photochemistry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, April 25, 2023
The Jack Morton Auditorium

7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast and Registration

Location: Lobby of the Jack Morton Auditorium

8:05 – 8:20 a.m. | Opening Remarks

• Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D., President, The George Washington University

8:20 – 8:45 a.m. | Keynote Conversation: How AI is Transforming Cybersecurity

• Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs, Google
• Moderator: Christopher A. Bracey, J.D., Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, The George Washington University

Recently, President Biden highlighted AI’s potential to address issues like disease and climate change and called out “potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security.” In this opening fireside chat with Kent Walker, find out how Google thinks about addressing those risks – and realizing opportunities. Mr. Walker will share his frontline perspective on how organizations can harness AI boldly and responsibly to create a safer digital ecosystem.

8:50 – 9:15 a.m. | Keynote Conversation: Leading and Navigating Change in the Cybersecurity Landscape

• Dan Helfrich, Chairman and CEO, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
• Moderator: Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D., Dean, GW School of Business

Learn how Deloitte Consulting partners with federal and commercial clients while simultaneously and proactively navigating cybersecurity as more leaders and organizations pursue digital transformation. As head of Deloitte Consulting, Dan Helfrich must keep pace with these rapid changes. Hear his thoughts on how to navigate these changes as a CEO and what should be top-of-mind for all industry leaders as well.

9:15 – 9:40 a.m. | Coffee Break

No further details.

9:40 – 10:20 a.m. | Panel I: U.S. Cybersecurity Landscape: Identifying Solutions for the Future

• Introduction: Dayna Bowen Matthew, J.D., Ph.D., Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, GW Law
• Moderator: Mark Gerencser, Chairman of the Board, Business Executives for National Security
• Valerie M. Cofield, Chief Strategy Officer, Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• Phyllis Schneck, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Northrop Grumman
• Sudha Vyas, Chief Cybersecurity Architect, Department of Defense CIO
• Jason Witty, Chief Security Officer, USAA

What can leaders in business and government do today to proactively mitigate uncertainties in cybersecurity? In this session, hear from chief cyber policy experts about steps organizations can take to leverage their own strengths and utilize partnerships to build new potential for meeting this critical demand. Attendees will learn ideas for finding and becoming architects of their cyber strategy using recruitment, technologies and establishing practices to minimize disruptions that could arise.

10:25 – 10:55 a.m. | Panel II: The Role of Cyber Insurance in Improving Global Cybersecurity

• Introduction: Dayna Bowen Matthew, J.D., Ph.D., Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law, GW Law
• Moderator: Yosha DeLong, Global Head of Cyber, Mosaic Insurance
• Michael K. Atkinson, Partner, Crowell & Moring
• Catherine A. Mulligan, Enterprise Client Leader, Aon
• Joseph Nemec, Ph.D., Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and Head of Cyber, Technology and Information Security Risk Management for Morgan Stanley’s U.S. Banks

By the year 2025, according to Cybercrime Magazine, global losses incurred as a result of cybercrime activity are estimated to reach $10.5 trillion USD. From data breaches, malware, ransomware, fraud, phishing attacks, and identity theft, cybercrime affects every kind of enterprise, from small businesses to multinational corporations. The losses incurred to a firm’s reputation as a result of data and intellectual property theft by cybercriminals can be incalculable. During this session, gain an understanding of the role of AI, cyber insurance and Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in global cybersecurity; whether AI is increasing risks, allowing for greater risk insights, or both; and the use of data in assessing cyber risks, both past and future. Panelists will also discuss regulatory oversight and its implications for cyber insurance, and views on the ethics of cyber insurance and particularly whether to-pay or not-to-pay when confronted with ransomware.

11:00 – 11:25 a.m. | Keynote Conversation: Protecting Our Nation - The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Digital Age

• Hon. Mark R. Warner, B.A. ‘77, United States Senator, Virginia
• Moderator: Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D., President, The George Washington University

This discussion focuses on the current state of cybersecurity threats, their potential impact on our national security and economy, and the challenges of protecting our nation against cyber attacks. The Senator will share insights on efforts to promote cybersecurity legislation, and we will explore the roles of individuals, businesses, and government agencies in maintaining a strong and resilient cybersecurity posture. Don't miss this critical discussion on cybersecurity awareness and action.

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch Keynote Conversation: Innovation vs. Risk - Finding Balance Between Technology and Security

Location: University Student Center, Grand Ballroom, Third Floor

• Introduction: John Lach, Ph.D., Dean, GW School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Moderator: Mitchell E. Blaser, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Mosaic Insurance
• Nicolás Ávila, Chief Technology Officer – North America, Globant
• Dominic Delmolino, Vice President - Field Technology & Engineering, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Renata Spinks, Assistant IT Director/Deputy CIO of Information, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (IC4), Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
• Julian Zottl, Chief Technology Officer for Cyber Protection Solutions, Raytheon

As generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Microsoft’s Bing Chat battle it out for winner-takes-all tech supremacy in 2023, global concerns around their dangers are also making headlines. Will these technology advancements make the world a better place or are they existential risks? Can they be democratized, and how do we rein in Big Tech? Business and public sector leaders discuss the upsides of technology’s breakneck pace, whether we’re at a tipping point, and how we might mitigate for society’s best outcomes.

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. | Panel III: The Implications of the National Cyber Strategy - Potential Impacts on the Private Sector Partnership with Government

• Introduction: Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., Dean, GW College of Professional Studies
• Moderator: Chris Cummiskey, CEO, Cummiskey Strategic Solutions, LLC
• Meg King, Executive Director for Strategy, Policy Coordination, and Innovation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (TSA)
• Amanda Suárez, Senior Strategy and Research Advisor, White House Office of the National Cyber Director
• Connie Uthoff, Program Director of the Cybersecurity Strategy and Information, Management Master’s Program, GW College of Professional Studies

Join a discussion that will highlight the newly released National Cybersecurity Strategy defining the government’s approach to cybersecurity. Learn about the implications for non-governmental sectors across the broader economy and the regulatory structure needed to support the development of America’s cyber defense infrastructure, through public-private partnerships, greater accountability for building security in software products and new types of information and data sharing structures.

2:05 – 2:35 p.m. | Keynote Conversation: Geopolitics and Cyberwarfare

• Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation
• Moderator: David Sanger, White House & National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
• Introduction: Liesl Riddle, Ph.D., Dean, GW College of Professional Studies

David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent and senior writer for The New York Times, and author of “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age”, will speak with Tom Burt, corporate vice president of customer security and trust at Microsoft. Even as the private sector broadly and the technology industry in particular invests more to protect their customers and the ecosystem from cybersecurity disruptions, cyberattacks and influence operations are increasingly being leveraged as instruments of aggression against adversaries. During this session, Sanger and Burt will discuss how Microsoft and other private sector companies are helping to combat cyberthreats and the intersection of these efforts with the U.S. and other governments.

2:35 – 3:00 p.m. | Coffee Break

No further details.

3:05 – 3:50 p.m. | Panel IV: AI-powered Cybersecurity and How We Can Stay Ahead

• Introduction: John Lach, Ph.D., Dean, GW School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Moderator: Margaret Martonosi, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Robert Cunningham, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Research Infrastructure, University of Pittsburgh
• Adam Mattina (M.B.A. ‘13), Managing Director & Portfolio CISO, Blackstone
• Elham Tabassi, Associate Director of Emerging Technologies at the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Speed and precision are key elements of a strong cybersecurity threat response. Quantum computing, and the underlying power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have the potential to make the standard organizational cyber infrastructure even more well-equipped for faster and more robust responses. Learn more in this session about how these technological advances are keeping threat preparedness and prevention at the cutting edge and what business leaders need to know when overseeing cyber risks, as the same advances are increasingly accelerating cyberattacks with more threatening and acute impacts.

3:55 – 4:25 p.m. | Closing Keynote Conversation: Technology, Digital Inclusion and the Future of Cybersecurity

• Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO, Verizon
• Moderator: Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D., Dean, GW School of Business

This last keynote session of our inaugural GW Business and Policy Forum will feature Hans Vestberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon. As one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services, Verizon has had to manage risks carefully and proactively to secure the infrastructure that allows it to serve millions of consumers, and an expansive portfolio of network solutions to business and government clients worldwide. Hear Vestberg’s reflections on 5G technology, digital inclusion and some of the biggest challenges facing business leaders in today’s macroeconomic environment.

4:30 – 6:00 p.m. | Networking Reception

Location: University Student Center, Grand Ballroom, Third Floor