The Public Eye with Eric Chabrow

Feds' Big Presence at RSA Conference 2015

Secretary Jeh Johnson Leads Contingent from Homeland Security
Feds' Big Presence at RSA Conference 2015
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson will address the RSA conference.

Call the Moscone Center in San Francisco the Homeland Security West. Not only will Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson deliver a keynote address, in which he'll discuss DHS's comprehensive strategy to address the evolving cyberthreat, but nearly every major cybersecurity leader at DHS will be present at RSA Conference 2015 in San Francisco.

See Also: Live Webinar | Navigating Identity Threats: Detection & Response Strategies for Modern Security Challenges

RSA Conference 2015 - which begins Monday, April 20, and ends Friday, April 24 - will feature a number of DHS alumni, too, including former Deputy Secretary Jane Lute.

DHS leaders aren't the only D.C. transplants to spend the week near San Francisco Bay, the White House is sending several officials, including Michael Daniel, cybersecurity coordinator and special assistant to the president; Cheri Caddy, director for cybersecurity policy outreach and integration; and Tim Polk, assistant director for cybersecurity in the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology will have a strong delegation at RSA, including Donna Dodson, chief cybersecurity adviser and Information Technology Laboratory associate director.

Retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander, the former National Security Agency director, will host a session, where he'll discuss life after the NSA.

Editor's Choices

Here are my picks of 10 key government-tied presentations at this year's conference (click on links to get further details, including time and location):

  • I'm in Control Here: Who's in Charge of Cybersecurity? This session features former leaders from the departments of Defense and Homeland Security and FBI, including Jane Lute, Phil Reitinger, John Inglis and Shawn Henry, who'll discuss who should be in charge of cybersecurity in the United States.
  • Preventing and Disrupting National Security Cyberthreats showcases Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin's chat with New York Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger, analyzing developments in the federal government's approach to disrupting national security cyberthreats, including sophisticated cyber-attacks by state actors and the use of social media and other technology by terrorist groups.
  • Using the Cybersecurity Framework: Lessons Learned and Opportunities presents RSA Vice President Michael Brown moderating a discussion on lessons learned from initial experiences with the NIST cybersecurity framework. Panelists include David Simpson of the Federal Communications Commission, Steve Whitlock of Boeing, Time Casey of Intel and Donna Dodson, NIST's chief cybersecurity adviser.
  • U.S. Government Initiatives for Securing the Global Supply Chain, with Quinsigamond Community College's Dan Reddy moderating a panel that includes the General Services Administration's Emile Monette, DHS's Joe Jarzombek and NIST's Jon Boyens addressing efforts to ensure product integrity of hardware, software and services being incorporated into government enterprise capabilities and critical infrastructure.
  • There Are No Domestic Cyber Issues: U.S. and U.K Leaders on Global Partnership features White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel and Natalie Block, director of the Office of Cybersecurity and Information Assurance in the British cabinet, addressing the need to build effective international partnerships to do big things in cyber.
  • Evolving Security Operations and Sharing at Net Speed, with NSA's Darlene Renee Tarun moderating a discussion on identifying ways to unify at scale the various components for sensing, sense making, decision making, acting and messaging in order to address continuous mitigation through messaging fabric, automation and orchestration advancements. Panlists include Esri's Brian Biesecker, CSG Invotas's Paul Nguyen, DHS's Peter Fonash and NSA's Philip Quade.
  • States at Risk: Cyberthreat Sophistication, Inadequate Budget and Talent focuses on the exploration of key cybersecurity themes, the complexity of the environment and ideas for moving forward. Results from the 2014 Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study, a trend report on state sector cybersecurity, will be featured. Moderated by former Nevada state Chief Information Security Officer Christopher Ipsen, panelists include Srini Subramanian of Deloitte & Touche, Thomas MacLellan of the National Governors Association and Utah state CISO Tim Hastings.
  • Cyber Ranges: A Strategic Outlook with moderator Cheri Caddy, White House director for cybersecurity policy outreach and integration, leading a discussion on emerging uses for cyber ranges and taking a strategic, mission-driven approach to this shared resource. Panelists include U.S. Cyber Command's Guy Walsh, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's Tim Polk and Merit Network's William Adams.
  • Securing the Grid: Opportunities and Risks in Operational Technology features as moderator DHS Assistant Secretary Andy Ozment, who's joined by former DHS Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford of The Chertoff Group, DHS's Marty Edwards, BaseLayer's Robert Bustler and SANS Institute's Michael Assante. They'll discuss the need to integrate information and operational technology security, which constitute separate silos of excellence, to fend off attacks on data centers and the critical information they contain.
  • The Economics of Online Identity: 6 Buzzwords to Impress your Boss, with Michael Garcia, deputy director of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, who'll explore a host of vexing economic phenomena preventing markets from improving online identity.

Outside of these government-focused sessions, Information Security Media Group will be providing ongoing coverage of RSA Conference 2015 from its booth on the Moscone Center expo floor, North Hall Booth 4042. Please stop by and introduce yourself.

Additional Summit Insight:
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About the Author

Eric Chabrow

Eric Chabrow

Retired Executive Editor, GovInfoSecurity

Chabrow, who retired at the end of 2017, hosted and produced the semi-weekly podcast ISMG Security Report and oversaw ISMG's GovInfoSecurity and InfoRiskToday. He's a veteran multimedia journalist who has covered information technology, government and business.




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