TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The REACH at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20037
The REACH at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
8:00 A.M.
Breakfast
Come as you please.
9:00 A.M.
Welcome
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Vivian Schiller, Vice President & Executive Director, Aspen Digital
9:05 A.M.
Keynote Conversation: Building the National Cyber Strategy
White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross will discuss the Trump Administration’s vision for the forthcoming National Cyber Strategy, the critical role of public-private sector collaboration, and challenges for the next decade of cyber defense, in a fireside conversation with Ballistic Ventures General Partner Kevin Mandia.
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Sean Cairncross, White House National Cyber Director
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Kevin Mandia, Founder, Mandiant; General Partner, Ballistic Ventures
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(Moderator) Sasha O'Connell, Senior Director, Cybersecurity Programs, Aspen Digital
9:25 A.M.
Playing Offense: Imposing Consequences in the Digital Domain
Over the last decade the perceived wisdom for the American government and US-based industry has been to prioritize cyber defense. Recently though, leaders across the US and world have put a new focus on not only impeding the effectiveness of attacks but also ratcheting up the consequences to do them in the first place. This panel will explore risks and opportunities of offensive actions in cyberspace, the roles of government and the private sector, and the broader toolkit for responding to cyber aggression.
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Morgan Adamski, Former Executive Director, US Cyber Command; US Cyber Leader, PwC
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Sandra Joyce, Vice President, Google Threat Intelligence
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Brett Leatherman, Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division
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Kemba Walden, President, Paladin Global Institute
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(Moderator) Megan Brown, Chair, Privacy, Cyber and Data Governance, Wiley Rein LLP
10:05 A.M.
Beyond the Beltway: The Road Ahead for State and Local Cyber Policy
From ransomware attacks on schools and hospitals to state-sponsored hacking of water utilities, state, local, tribal, and territorial infrastructure have increasingly become major targets of cyberattacks. This comes amidst a new federal directive which put greater emphasis on states to prevent and prepare for cyberattacks and uncertainty over continued federal funding for local cyber efforts. This panel will explore evolving roles in intergovernmental cyber policy and how state and local governments are building innovative models for cyber defense across the country.
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Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director, UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity
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Michael Geraghty, CISO, State of New Jersey; Director, NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell
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Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer, Cherokee Nation
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Vice Admiral Timothy James "TJ" White (Ret.), Chief, Texas Cyber Command
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(Moderator) Stefani Jones, Director, Cybersecurity Programs, Aspen Digital
10:45 A.M.
Morning Break
11:05 A.M.
Hacking the Narrative: Communicating Cyber in the Age of Distraction
Cybersecurity is urgent, but the public often tunes out. This panel explores what the cybersecurity community can learn from master storytellers—filmmakers, journalists, and influencers—about crafting narratives that break through apathy and spark behavior change. How do we make invisible threats feel real? What makes people care about complex systems like critical infrastructure? Join experts across disciplines to discover how storytelling can become a vital tool in our national cyber defense.
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Hutch Parker, Producer, Hutch Parker Entertainment
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Nicole Perlroth, Author, Investor, and Venture Partner, Ballistic Ventures
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Caitlin Sarian, Founder and Influencer, Cybersecurity Girl and Cyber Career Club
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(Moderator) Vivian Schiller, Vice President & Executive Director, Aspen Digital
11:45 A.M.
Powering Tech’s Future: A Conversation with Dr. Darío Gil
In this fireside chat, Under Secretary for Science at the US Department of Energy Darío Gil will explore the Department of Energy’s science and technology initiatives, including how the agency and its 17 national laboratories are approaching the intersection of quantum computing, security and emerging technology.
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Dr. Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy
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(Moderator) Steven Overly, Host, POLITICO Tech Podcast
12:05 P.M.
Lunch Discussions (In-Person)
Choose one of the lunch sessions below.
Secure Connections: Cybersecurity Networking Lunch
Join fellow attendees for an open-seating networking lunch designed for connection and collaboration. Enjoy free flowing conversations and reflections sparked by the morning’s sessions.
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Christian Beckner, Vice President, Retail Technology & Cybersecurity, National Retail Federation
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Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO, Verizon
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Seckin Yilgoren, Senior Vice President, Fraud & Decisioning Products, North American Market Services, Mastercard
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(Moderator) Kate Griffin, Director, National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention, Aspen Financial Security Program
Assembling the Dream Team: Implementing a Comprehensive Scam-Fighting Strategy
Presented by the National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention
Scam-fighting is a multi-faceted, fast-moving, team sport. Scam-fighting skills span cybersecurity, trust and safety, fraud, risk, compliance, product, UX, marketing, policy, and government affairs. This panel considers the question: How can companies harness the best thinking and capabilities inside the enterprise to fight scams? Participants will explore how seamless communication, shared intelligence, and integrated operations across these distinct but interconnected functions are paramount for developing and executing an effective and nimble scam-fighting strategy that protects consumers and the nation’s broader systems of communications, commerce, and finance.
From Learners to Leaders: Shaping the Next Gen Cybersecurity Workforce
Presented by the Aspen Cyber Summit Scholar Program
Amidst an evolving threat landscape, the growing force of emerging technologies, and shifts in governance, the cybersecurity field is facing an inflection point. How can students, young leaders, and talent-seeking organizations meet this moment? This panel, designed for student and early-career attendees, brings together cross-sector leaders who are challenging conventional wisdom on the pathways into the cybersecurity workforce. The conversation will explore how we can broaden the scope of what a cyber job looks like and reexamine the skills, education, and experiences that matter most.
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Dr. Diana Burley, Senior Vice President, Research, The Brookings Institution
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Victor Cordon, Director, Social Impact, Okta
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Scott Ferber, Partner, Raj Ferber PLLC
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Lisa Kaplan, Founder & CEO, Alethea
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(Moderator) Devon Regal, Lead, Aspen Cyber Summit Scholar Program, Aspen Digital
1:25 P.M.
Cybersecurity in Focus: A Bipartisan Congressional Update
In this bipartisan fireside chat, Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) delve into the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. The conversation will explore current legislative efforts to strengthen national cyber defenses, the role of public-private partnerships in mitigating threats, and strategies for improving threat intelligence sharing between government agencies and the private sector.
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Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member, US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
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Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Chair, US Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity
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(Moderator) Laura Coates, Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst, CNN
1:45 P.M.
Watts and Bots: Security & Abundance in the AI Age
Artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented demand for electricity, spurring massive new investments in America’s energy infrastructure. Across the political spectrum, the dialogue around abundance and dynamism has centered on the need to build such infrastructure quickly and efficiently. Yet this surge comes at a time when cyberattacks on the power grid and other critical infrastructure are raising urgent questions about resilience. This panel will explore how the United States can seize on this moment of infrastructure expansion to simultaneously meet its growing energy needs while ensuring that the systems powering our future remain secure and reliable.
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Dean Ball, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation
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Marc Dunkelman, Author, Why Nothing Works; Fellow, Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs
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​Katie Dykes, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
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Harry Krejsa, Director of Studies, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology
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(Moderator) Cecilia Kang, Reporter, The New York Times
2:20 P.M.
Surveillance for Sale: The Use and Abuse of Commercial Spyware
Once the domain of state intelligence services, commercial spyware has become a powerful tool increasingly accessible to non-state groups. This panel will examine the implications of that transition for the cybersecurity community including the threat landscape, recent legal developments, implications for democracy and human rights, and the need for policy and legal frameworks to curb misuse.
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Jennifer Brody, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy for Technology and Democracy, Freedom House
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Nadine Farid Johnson, Policy Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
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Alexandra Reeve Givens, President & CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology
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(Moderator) John Carlin, Partner, Paul, Weiss; Strategic Advisor & Chair Emeritus for Cybersecurity, Aspen Digital
2:55 P.M.
Craig Newmark & Take9 Activation
After launching Take9 at Aspen Cyber Summit 2024, Craig Newmark re-joins the stage to talk about the growth of the national public service cybersecurity campaign and his continued commitment to protecting the nation from frauds and scams.
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Amira Dhalla, Director, Cyber Civil Defense, Aspen Digital
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Craig Newmark, Founder, craigslist and craig newmark philanthropies
3:00 P.M.
Take9 Pause: Afternoon Break
3:20 P.M.
Inside China’s Cyber Evolution: A Conversation with Gen. Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.)
​​In this fireside chat, General Paul M. Nakasone reflects on how China’s cyber operations have evolved—from espionage and IP theft to prepositioning and AI-enabled capabilities. The conversation explores how emerging technologies are reshaping both this threat landscape and America’s playbook for defense and deterrence in cyberspace.
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(Introduction) Joe Levy, CEO, Sophos
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General Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.), Former Commander, US Cyber Command; Founding Director, Vanderbilt Institute of National Security
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(Moderator) Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent, Fox News
3:40 P.M.
Strategic Frontlines: Cyber Policy in the Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific is at the center of rising cyber threats, from state-sponsored attacks to critical infrastructure breaches. As digital risks grow, countries are advancing national strategies, adopting new active defense measures, and strengthening regional cooperation. This panel brings together senior cyber officials from across the region to explore how their nations are responding to the evolving threat landscape, securing critical systems, and shaping regional and global cyber norms.
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Amb. Brendan Dowling, Deputy Secretary, Critical Infrastructure and National Resilience, Australian Department of Home Affairs
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David Koh, Chief Executive, Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore
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Yukio Saita, Global Strategy Lead, National Cybersecurity Office, Government of Japan
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(Moderator) Nate Fick, Former US Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy
4:20 P.M.
Trust Issues: Risk, Security and AI Governance
Artificial intelligence is already transforming both the tools and terrain of global security, from automating cyber defense to agents who can plan, reason, and collaborate. But the technology’s promise may ultimately hinge on one thing: trust. This panel examines how organizations are building and deploying AI securely and what more is needed to govern technology effectively in an increasingly autonomous world.
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Drew Bagley, Chief Privacy Officer, CrowdStrike
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Natasha Eastman, Head of Threat Intelligence, CoreWeave
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Josh Hedges, Product Policy, OpenAI
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Stephen Schmidt, SVP & Chief Security Officer, Amazon
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(Moderator) Kashmir Hill, Reporter, The New York Times
Closing Remarks and Reception
4:55 P.M.
Following Closing Remarks, in-person attendees are invited to join us for a celebratory drink and desserts in the Peace Corps Lobby.
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Konstanze Frischen, Managing Director, Aspen Digital
2025 ASPEN CYBER SUMMIT AGENDA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17
The REACH at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20037
The REACH at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Welcome Reception
5:00-
7:00 P.M.
All in-person Aspen Cyber Summit attendees are invited to join us for light bites, drinks,
and conversation.