Election security is a pressing issue for many in the cybersecurity business, and Black Hat organizers want to ensure you don't overlook some relevant Briefings taking place at the virtual Black Hat USA in August.
Notably, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Christopher Krebs will be presenting "Election Security: Securing America's Future", a detailed rundown of how CISA is leading the federal effort to support state and local officials in their important mission to secure U.S. elections in 2020.
This is a great example of the kind of practical, timely cybersecurity insights you can only get at Black Hat. Federal, state, local and private sector partners have been building up defenses since 2017 in preparation for the 2020 elections; as the reckoning draws nigh and the COVID-19 pandemic brings its own difficulties, Krebs plans to show you how CISA has had to quickly adapt and provide support and resources as officials look for safe, healthy and secure ways to ensure that elections continue to take place!
"Hacking the Voter: Lessons from a Decade of Russian Military Operations" also promises to be deeply relevant, as you'll enjoy an expert look at lessons learned from nearly a decade of election interference activities linked to the Russian military's espionage and special forces agency, the GRU.
You'll also examine how Russia's policy elites believe information has a fundamental role in international relations, and learn how this perspective shapes GRU strategies and tactics. This perspective reframes historic GRU operations and suggests how different GRU tactics could be brought to bear in future instances of election interference. The analysis will be used to provide a framework and guidance for organizations—both obvious targets and those that may have a more subtle strategic value—that may need to prepare for these operations.
The companies that make voting equipment and election systems are innovating to improve security ahead of the 2020 elections, and that means they're looking for new ways to harden their systems against attacks. Black Hat attendees will get an in-depth look at how in "Building a Vulnerability Disclosure Program that Works for Election Vendors and Hackers", a Black Hat USA Briefing which will explore those efforts as well as examine new models for researcher and election vendor collaboration.
From crowdsourced penetration testing to coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD) programs, this Briefing aims to give you a rundown of new collaborations and also look at ideas for improving the relationship between researchers and voting vendors. Even if you don't currently work in election security, make time to attend this Briefing; the election industry has many lessons to share that leaders across the manufacturing space can learn from to better protect their own critical assets, information and customer base.
You can find more details on these Briefings, which are all part of the Policy track, in the Black Hat USA Briefings schedule.Register now for this year's fully virtual Black Hat USA, still scheduled to take place August 1st through 6th, and get more information about the event on the Black Hat website.