Cyber Focus: Cybersecurity, National Security, and Critical Infrastructure

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Building the Future of Cyber Education at ASCTE with Arthur Orr and Matt Massey Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo visits Birmingham to speak with Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr and Matt Massey, President of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE). They discuss the origins of ASCTE, its rigorous curriculum, and its dual mission to educate top-tier students while expanding cyber education across the state. The conversation explores the school's national security significance, its unique hands-on learning model, public-private partnerships, and future growth plans. Senator Orr and Massey highlight the importance of workforce development and how ASCTE is preparing students for careers in cybersecurity and engineering.

Main Topics Covered:

The legislative origins of ASCTE and its role as a statewide magnet school
ASCTE's rigorous academic curriculum and hands-on cyber education approach
The school's impact on national security and workforce development
The role of public-private partnerships in ASCTE's success
Future expansion plans, including new facilities and a research center

Key Quotes:

"We have got to get young people trained and conversant in the cyber world to be able to defend and protect our country from all the cyber threats that we see increasing." —Arthur Orr

"We don't win that numbers game [against China]. We got to ensure that we are always more innovative, more advanced, from a technology and educational standpoint. —Frank Cilluffo

"We actually have the toughest graduation requirements of any school in the nation." —Matt Massey

"We've got students at Georgetown, at Tufts, at Harvard... but also we got some that are going straight to a career now and then some are doing the hybrid role." —Matt Massey

"We wanted cyber education to be very hands on, and we embed cyber concepts in all of our classes" —Matt Massey

Relevant Links and Resources:

https://www.ascte.org/

Guest Bios:

Senator Arthur Orr has served in the Alabama State Senate since 2006, where he has championed numerous education initiatives, including the legislation that established ASCTE in 2018. He previously worked with the Peace Corps and has a background in public service and economic development.

Matt Massey is the President of ASCTE, a pioneering public residential magnet school dedicated to cyber technology and engineering. Prior to leading ASCTE, he served as Superintendent of Madison County Schools. Under his leadership, ASCTE has grown into a national model for cybersecurity education.

Cybersecurity, Espionage, and National Defense with Martin Matishak Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode Frank Cilluffo speaks with Martin Matishak, a seasoned cybersecurity journalist currently with The Record and formerly with Politico and National Journal. They discuss China's cyber threats, particularly the Volt Typhoon and Soft Typhoon campaigns, and their implications for critical infrastructure security and espionage tactics. Matishak also unpacks supply chain vulnerabilities, U.S. cyber policy challenges, and the evolving debate over Cyber Command 2.0, a U.S. Cyber Force, and the NSA-Cyber Command dual hat structure. The conversation extends to cyber diplomacy, examining U.S. efforts like the FALCON rapid response program and State Department initiatives to counter China's growing digital influence.

Main Topics Covered

Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon cyber threats—China's infiltration of telecom and critical infrastructure networks.
Cyber Command 2.0 and military cyber readiness—Congressional debates on U.S. cyber capabilities and a potential independent Cyber Force.
NSA-Cyber Command Dual Hat debate—Should the leadership of U.S. Cyber Command and NSA be separated?
Cyber supply chain vulnerabilities—The FCC's "Rip and Replace" initiative and the challenge of securing U.S. networks.
State Department's cyber diplomacy—The FALCON program's role in global cybersecurity response and countering China's digital influence.

Key Quotes:

[China] will do what they want to do when they want to do it. And they are not scared by anything [the U.S. has] done to them so far.—Martin Matishak

A few years ago, [my source said] if the [military] services were at the same readiness levels as the cyber mission force planes would not fly, boats would not sail, soldiers would not march, Marines would not deploy. It was that bad.—Martin Matishak

There are very large swaths of Congress that are just fed up with the lack of readiness of our cyber forces." —Martin Matishak

The 'dual hat' as we know it might be over." —Martin Matishak

At the end of the day, bringing something unique to the table to help others will pay dividends in other diplomatic areas." —Frank Cilluffo

Relevant Links and Resources

Guest Bio

Martin Matishak is a cybersecurity journalist with The Record, covering national security, cyber threats, and government policy. Previously, he wrote for Politico and National Journal, focusing on cyber warfare, espionage, and defense strategy. His reporting has shaped policy discussions on Chinese cyber operations, U.S. cyber readiness, and emerging cyber defense strategies.

Integrating Intelligence: CTIIC's Role in Defending Critical Infrastructure with Laura Galante and Lauren Goldman Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Laura Galante, Director of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC), and Lauren Goldman, head of Analysis and Analytic Integration at CTIIC. They discuss CTIIC's evolving role in integrating intelligence across agencies and sectors, its initiatives to bolster critical infrastructure resilience, and its approach to public-private partnerships. The conversation also explores threats from adversarial nation-states like China, operational collaboration for cybersecurity, and the integration of intelligence to address ransomware trends globally.

Main Topics Covered:

The mission and evolution of CTIIC in the intelligence community.
Public-private partnerships and their role in cybersecurity.
Nation-state threats, including Chinese cyber campaigns and pre-positioning strategies.
Ransomware trends and the impact on sectors like healthcare, education, and manufacturing.
Operational collaboration models for critical infrastructure resilience.
Intelligence sharing beyond the Beltway and efforts to support global allies.

Key Quotes: "Inherent in the cyber threat and in the cyber domain is you've got most of the infrastructure owned by private entities." – Laura Galante "One of the things we found was that there's a lot of really great intelligence production that's happening at the secret level, and it is not necessarily always getting out to the edge." – Lauren Goldman "You have a lot of folks who don't think of themselves as a cyber person who are there on the front line securing a more and more digitized set of... devices." – Laura Galante "Each one of these typhoons on their own is a really bad storm. Collectively, dare I say, it's almost a perfect storm." – Frank Cilluffo "Everything we do is about tailoring the intelligence so that it is consumable, so that people get it and they feel armed to make the decisions they need to make." – Lauren Goldman Relevant Links: The Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center Cybersecurity Collaboration Center International Counter Ransomware Initiative Guest Bios:

Laura Galante served as the Director of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Formerly with Mandiant, Galante specializes in integrating intelligence to support national security decision-making.
Lauren Goldman is the Head of Analysis and Analytic Integration at CTIIC, with past roles at the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Counterterrorism Center, focusing on intelligence integration and critical infrastructure resilience.

AI, Ransomware, and Medical Devices: Safeguarding Healthcare with Errol Weiss Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Overview: In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Health ISAC). They discuss the evolving cybersecurity challenges in the healthcare sector, including ransomware, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the critical need for better security measures to protect medical devices and patient data. Weiss shares insights from his extensive experience in both healthcare and financial services cybersecurity, highlighting lessons learned, the role of information sharing, and the importance of proactive measures to mitigate risks. Main Topics Covered:

Health ISAC's role in supporting global healthcare organizations.
The increasing ransomware threat and its impact on patient care.
Challenges in securing medical devices and mitigating supply chain risks.
Differences between compliance and true cybersecurity in healthcare.
Lessons from the financial services sector to improve healthcare security.
Future technologies like AI and quantum computing in healthcare cybersecurity.

Key Quotes: "Ransomware is going is getting worse and will continue to get worse. As we see, not only are the criminal groups going after the hospitals, but they're also going after the patients themselves." — Errol Weiss "These [ransomware operators] have figured out that they can cause major regional, sometimes even national impact by these ransomware events." — Errol Weiss "In October of 2025, there's a whole other batch of medical devices based on Windows 10 that are going to be having more and more issues, just representing weak points that malicious outsiders can take advantage of." — Errol Weiss "Get involved, learn more, partner with others. But don't wait around for somebody to come save you because it's not happening." — Errol Weiss "If you think that 100% of the people who are coming in remotely are using MFA, make sure they are. We keep finding exceptions all over the place and that's where we find the weak points." — Errol Weiss Relevant Links and Resources: Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices and Training Videos National Council of ISACs Guest Bio:

Errol Weiss is the Chief Security Officer at Health-ISAC, where he leads the Threat Operations Center, delivering actionable intelligence to nearly 800 healthcare organizations worldwide. Previously, he helped establish the Financial Services ISAC and worked at the NSA conducting vulnerability analyses on classified systems. With decades of experience, Errol is a recognized leader in cybersecurity and threat intelligence.

Priorities and Challenges for the Trump Administration with Matt Hayden and Mark Montgomery Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Overview: In the first episode of Season Two of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo welcomes Matt Hayden, former Assistant Secretary at DHS, and RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, former Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Together, they discuss the evolving cyber landscape under the incoming Trump administration. The conversation covers critical cybersecurity challenges, including regulatory reform, military mobility infrastructure, the separation of Cyber Command and NSA, and strategies to counter adversarial cyber threats. Hayden and Montgomery provide insight into potential policy shifts and the role of public-private partnerships in safeguarding national security. Main Topics Covered:

Cybersecurity priorities and regulatory reform under the Trump administration
Strengthening critical infrastructure through public-private partnerships
Enhancing military mobility and addressing state-sponsored cyber threats
Cyber workforce development and innovation in response strategies

Key Quotes: "The president and his team have a list of priorities. And the good news for folks that are interested in cyber is cyber touches everything." — Matt Hayden "I do think there's going to be a push for a Cyber Force." — Mark Montgomery "We're never simply going to firewall our way out of this problem." — Frank Cilluffo "The current force generation model isn't working. We're not recruiting the right people. We're not training them. We're not maintaining them. We're not retaining them." — Mark Montgomery ""I think that [CISA has] an opportunity to actually explain what they do a little better... Knowing what CISA actually does day to day, especially on the congressional side, is tough." — Matt Hayden Relevant Links and Resources:

McCrary Institute Presidential Transition Taskforce report

Guest Bios:

Matt Hayden: Former Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk, and Resilience at DHS, now a Senior Fellow at the McCrary Institute.
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery: CCTI Senior Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

Grid Resilience, Cyber Threats, and the Future of Energy Security with E-ISAC CEO Manny Cancel Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo speaks with Manny Cancel, Senior Vice President at NERC and CEO of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). The conversation explores the evolving threat landscape impacting grid security, including challenges posed by ransomware, physical attacks, and AI-driven cyber risks. Manny highlights the importance of public-private collaboration, resilience engineering, and supply chain security to mitigate nation-state and extremist threats. He also discusses the ISAC's role in information sharing, mutual aid programs, and exercises like GridEx to strengthen critical infrastructure defenses. The episode concludes with insights on emerging technologies, operational technology (OT) convergence, and preparing the next generation of cybersecurity leaders. Main Topics Covered:

The evolving threat landscape: cyber, physical, and AI-driven risks
Public-private collaboration and lessons learned from global crises
Enhancing grid resilience through mutual aid, GridEx exercises, and supply chain security
The convergence of IT and OT systems in critical infrastructure
Preparing the next generation of cybersecurity leaders and addressing resource gaps

Key Quotes: "The threat has really become so much more complicated because of the geopolitical tensions... corporations were not designed to fight nation states." - Manny Cancel "We curate products and services for the different audiences that we deal with. We don't dumb things down, but we make things more consumable and digestible and useable." - Manny Cancel "It's not unreasonable to think that what we're seeing in other parts of the world could occur here." - Manny Cancel "In a worst case scenario, at least, we hope we can bounce back. If not bounce forward." - Manny Cancel "We're seeing a proliferation of drones. I think the challenge with drones is that there are legitimate and then there are malicious [uses]." – Manny Cancel Related Links:

Guest Bio: Manny Cancel is Senior Vice President at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and CEO of the Electricity ISAC. With over 40 years of experience, including serving as CIO of Con Edison, Manny is a recognized leader in grid security and resilience. He champions collaboration across industries, fostering partnerships to address cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure.

AI, Infrastructure, and Regulation with Eric Geller Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

For this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Eric Geller, a leading cybersecurity journalist who contributes to top outlets like Politico, Wired, and The Record. Together, they unpack Eric's reporting on expectations for changes in AI regulation and cybersecurity under the incoming Trump administration. They also discuss the vulnerabilities within critical infrastructure sectors like agriculture and telecom. Geller offers insights into systemic challenges, the evolving threat environment, and the need for innovation in tackling cybersecurity policy and governance. Main Topics Covered:

Changes in cybersecurity priorities under different U.S. administrations
Insights into major incidents like Salt Typhoon and their implications for telecom security
The Biden administration's AI executive order vs. potential Trump-era policies
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in agriculture and critical infrastructure
The challenges of implementing software liability and establishing duty-of-care standards

Key Quotes: "[Salt Typhoon is] one of the broadest campaigns that the U.S. government has ever seen." - Eric Geller "Congress would have to step in and say, we are declaring software to be a product, which unlocks some legal avenues for further work [on software liability]." - Eric Geller "Trump changed the rules a little bit to make it easier for the military to launch some of these [cyber] attacks. And Biden did not reverse that." - Eric Geller "The tech industry really needs to figure out where it stands on how much regulation it wants." - Eric Geller "All these things could be hacked. And right now, it's almost just a matter of luck that some of them haven't been." - Eric Geller Relevant Links: https://www.wired.com/story/trump-administration-cybersecurity-policy-reversals/

https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-ai-safety-regulation/ https://therecord.media/government-is-not-ready-for-food-agriculture-cybersecurity-usda https://therecord.media/cybersecurity-software-liability-standards-white-house-struggle

Guest Bio: Eric Geller is a seasoned cybersecurity journalist, recognized for his in-depth analysis of pressing cyber issues. He has written for Politico, Wired, The Record, and Cipher Brief, focusing on policy, governance, and the intersection of technology and national security.

Bridging the Cybersecurity Gap: Congressman Mark Green on Workforce, Regulation, and Resilience Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Mark Green, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Congressman Green, a combat veteran and healthcare entrepreneur, discusses key cybersecurity challenges, including workforce shortages, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and economic models that incentivize cybercrime. The conversation highlights the importance of initiatives like the Cyber Pivot Act, designed to address critical workforce gaps, and the need for harmonizing regulatory requirements. Green also explores strategies for protecting critical infrastructure, enhancing state-level cybersecurity, and leveraging public-private partnerships to bolster national resilience.

Main Topics Covered:

Addressing the cybersecurity workforce gap through the Cyber Pivot Act
Harmonizing federal regulations to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies
Strengthening cybersecurity for critical infrastructure at all levels of government
Tackling economic incentives that enable cybercrime and vulnerabilities
Advancing public-private partnerships and state-level cybersecurity initiatives

Key Quotes: "We have a 500,000 person shortage in cybersecurity jobs in this in this country, empty spaces with nobody to put in them." - Mark Green "If a company is spending more time complying than they are actually securing themselves, then... government is doing harm." - Mark Green "I have a strong belief that we have to as a country own the fact that these businesses can't protect themselves against nation states. And we have an obligation." - Mark Green "At the end of the day, the first to respond and the last to leave in a local incident are still going to be at [the] state level." - Frank Cilluffo "We've got to figure out as a country how to put pressure on people, to enforce laws, to extradite when someone breaks our laws." - Mark Green Relevant Links: https://homeland.house.gov/2024/09/24/chairman-green-introduces-cyber-pivott-act-to-tackle-government-cyber-workforce-shortage-create-pathways-for-10000-new-professionals/ Guest Bio:

Mark Green is the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, where he spearheads efforts to address cybersecurity, border security, and national resilience. A West Point graduate, Green served as a combat veteran and special operations physician in the Army's renowned 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. After his military service, he became a successful entrepreneur in the healthcare sector. Green has brought his leadership skills to Congress, focusing on critical issues like cybersecurity workforce development, regulatory harmonization, and protecting critical infrastructure. He is also the author of We Before Me, a book reflecting his philosophy of putting collective success above individual gain.

Driving the Future: Cybersecurity Challenges for Connected Vehicles with Cheri Caddy Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Overview: In this episode, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Cheri Caddy, former Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House and senior technical advisor at the Department of Energy. They discuss the cybersecurity challenges surrounding connected vehicles, examining how modern cars are effectively "computers on wheels" and the broader implications for privacy, data security, and national security. Cheri highlights the convergence of IT and OT systems in vehicles, the need for cyber-informed engineering, and the importance of regulatory harmonization in addressing these challenges.

Main Topics Covered:

Convergence of IT/OT systems in connected vehicles
Cybersecurity and privacy risks of modern cars
Global supply chain implications for vehicle data security
Regulatory harmonization across sectors impacting connected vehicles
Future of automation and autonomous vehicles in the cybersecurity landscape
Managing cybersecurity at an enterprise level for government and corporate vehicle fleets

Key Quotes: "Your car has always been something in your environment, but now it's a computer. It's software-defined, and you have to treat it with all of the cyber implications of being a computer." – Cheri Caddy "There's no cyber problem that's a single sector anymore." – Cheri Caddy "Vehicles are giant sensor platforms recording everything. What are the security implications of taking a connected vehicle on to a sensitive facility? ...I think that is very much an open question.– Cheri Caddy "We need to get [vehicle engineers] to think about cybersecurity at the design phase. Because dealing with bolting on cyber after the fact is, is just not practical.– Cheri Caddy This is just such an interesting area of converging, of all of the exciting cyber things, from supply chain to applied machine learning to data standards and integration. – Cheri Caddy Relevant Links: National Cyber Informed Engineering Strategy Information on vehicle data privacy and cybersecurity from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Guest Bio: Cheri Caddy is a cybersecurity leader with over 30 years of experience in national security, intelligence, and technical advisory roles. She has served as the Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House, as well as a senior advisor at the Department of Energy. Caddy's expertise lies in bridging policy and technical innovation, particularly in IT/OT convergence and secure-by-design engineering for critical infrastructure.

Community-Level Cybersecurity and Workforce Diversity with Kiersten Todt Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo interviews Kiersten Todt, president of Wondros, a creative firm focused on social and policy change. Todt, who previously served as Chief of Staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and as a senior advisor on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, shares insights on the challenges and advancements in cybersecurity workforce development, public-private collaboration, and the critical role of community involvement in cybersecurity initiatives.

Main Topics Covered:

Cybersecurity workforce development, with a focus on neurodiversity and inclusivity
Public-private partnerships and CISA's role in regional engagement
The importance of community-level cybersecurity initiatives
Cybersecurity supply chain issues and the need for inclusive small business support
Cybersecurity awareness through campaigns, education, and human-centered design

Key Quotes: "I think we as a nation will be so much better if we create inclusive workforces that represent and acknowledge and honor the aptitudes of individuals that we may not define as being... typical." – Kiersten Todt "If we're truly looking at securing [critical infrastructure sectors], we have to look with a cross-sector approach." – Kiersten Todt "[Cyber incident response] starts in the community, it starts at the local level. And so being able to engage those individuals is critical." – Kiersten Todt "The applied side is what attracts most of these kids [to cybersecurity]. It's not sitting behind a computer and just the zeros and ones. It's actually seeing the fruit of their work and actually getting involved." - Frank Cilluffo "Creating more of an activist culture in cybersecurity, as well as some of these other issues, really helps to turn the tide and to create change." – Kiersten Todt

Relevant Links and Resources:

Guest Bio: Kiersten Todt is the president of Wondros, a firm dedicated to social and policy change. She previously served as Chief of Staff at CISA and has held senior advisory roles on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Her work focuses on building inclusive cybersecurity solutions, workforce development, and fostering partnerships across public and private sectors.

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