In This Episode: “We are in the middle of the cyber battlespace.”
Fault Lines welcomes Dr. Samantha Ravich, former Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Cheney and Commissioner of the Cyber Solarium Commission which recently released their report. What is layered deterrence? Is it possible to create a continuity of economy plan? What is a solarium anyway? Dr. Ravich and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more!
In This Episode: “This idea that we’re taking the firefighters out of the game — the WHO aren’t the firefighters.”
Last week President Trump announced a 90 day freeze on funding to the World Health Organization. Dana, Jamil, Les, and first-time guest Andrew Borene, NSI Senior Fellow and former Associate Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Defense, discuss this move and how our understanding of the origins of the virus are changing. Is President Trump crippling a vital international organization? Is the WHO acting as a mouthpiece for dictators? Could this pandemic have been stopped through better safety protocols at a Wuhan lab? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.
NSI is excited to host the first event of the public facing NatSec Nightcap series with NSI Advisory Board Member Gen. Keith Alexander (Ret.) on Thursday, April 30 from 5 – 6 PM. Gen. Alexander has dedicated his life to serving our country in the intelligence and national security communities where he developed renowned insight into pressing policy questions. He has served as the Director of the National Security Agency and the Founding Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, among many other senior leadership roles in his impressive 40-year military career.
Gen. Alexander has agreed to share his thoughts on the critical threats our nation faces as well as his vision for the future of American leadership in this engaging and educational conversation with NSI Founder Jamil N. Jaffer. To sign up for this virtual event, please click here.
Following Gen. Alexander’s appearance, NatSec Nightcap will welcome Congressman Will Hurd (TX-23) on Tuesday, May 12 from 5 – 6 PM EST. Congressman Hurd is a leading voice on cybersecurity issues in Congress and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is also a confirmed guest for the series. Details on his participation are coming shortly!
To learn more about the NatSec Nightcap series and to register for these events, please visit our website.
In This Episode: “So there’s no question that the Chinese Government and Huawei Officials have been much more blatant in their threats and demands than in years past.”
Fault Lines welcomes Andy Keiser, NSI Fellow, former Senior Advisor to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and recent author of The Race to 5G: Securing the Win. What is 5G? How does it impact the national security of America and its allies? Why are some Brits attacking 5G towers? Andy and host Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more!
In This Episode: “This isn’t just about crisis mitigation right now. This is planning for the second and third wave.”
CoVid-19 continues to impact the state of play at home and internationally. Dana, Jamil, Jodi, and Les discuss the international aid provided in the most recent coronavirus relief bill. What do we owe others when we are in a crisis? Should America relieve sanctions on Iran? How are our hosts fairing during quarantine with their children? All these questions and more answered in this week’s Fault Lines.
In This Episode: “This organization called Al Qaeda has attacked our country. They’re trying to define my nation and they’re trying to define my religion. And I can’t sit here in Boston and not serve.”
Fault Lines welcomes Farah Pandith, first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities and recent author of How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat. What role do young people have to play in countering extremism? Where do we stand in the war on terror? Has America invested enough in soft power? What does Harry Potter have to do with it? Farah and Fault Lines Host Les Munson, answer these questions and many more!
In This Episode: “If there was ever a moment for US leadership to advocate for why active membership and shaping of the international system benefits Americans – now would be the time.”
CoVid-19 is spreading across the globe and is impacting every aspect of American life. Dana, Jamil, Les, and returning guest Katrina Mulligan, discuss the implications of the virus on American foreign policy, our adversaries, and our allies. What role should the United States play internationally during this crisis? How is our response different from China’s? Was “America First” right all along? Answers to these questions and more on this week’s episode of Fault Lines.
In This Episode: “The country post-Iraq is not behind a policy of regime change. Regime change – those words are toxic words politically in the United States.”
Fault Lines welcomes Rich Goldberg, former Director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction for the White House National Security Council, to discuss U.S.-Iranian Policy. Rich laid out the policy of the current administration in a recent op-ed in the New York Times. What should Americans know about this “maximum pressure” campaign? If not regime change, what should the goal of U.S.-Iranian policy be? What should a new deal look like? Rich and guest host, Dana Stroul, answer these questions and many more!
In This Episode: “I’m not suggesting the Trump Administration is right on this. In fact they’re wrong in Iraq, they’re wrong in Syria, and they’re wrong in Afghanistan. Just like Barack Obama was wrong on Iraq, wrong on Syria, and wrong on Afghanistan”
On February 29th, Zalmay Khalilzad, America’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation at the State Department, and Abdul Ghani Baradar, a representative of the Taliban, signed the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan. This agreement comes of the heels of a temporary cease fire and purports to be a stepping stone to intra-Afghan negotiations. Andy, Dana, Jamil, and first time guest Katrina Mulligan, Managing Director for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, discuss the implications of the peace agreement on the ground in Afghanistan and politically in the United States. In this episode, Andy commends Amrullah Saleh’s piece in Time and Dana reads from Representative Tom Malinowski’s op-ed in the Washington Post.
Yesterday, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission report was released, which outlines a comprehensive strategy for defending the U.S. against major cyber attacks. Read our expert analysis below, and to read the report, visit this page.
March 12, 2020
Lauren Bedula
– NSI Visiting Fellow; Senior Vice President at Beacon Global Strategies LLC
“I think the ‘big ideas’ reflected in the Commission’s report will do more than just ‘get the conversation started’. There are specific and achievable recommendations that are unusual for this type of effort – particularly when it comes to cybersecurity – and the Commission should be commended for this approach. The private sector is eager to operationalize cybersecurity collaboration with the U.S. government, and will welcome the Commission’s emphasis on strengthened support of their defensive efforts. Clarification of U.S. government roles and responsibilities, and the elevation of cybersecurity as a priority at DHS in recent years, has improved public-private partnerships around cybersecurity, but the Commission is right to push these efforts further. To do so, CISA must be well resourced and the U.S. government must bring to bear its authorities, resources, and intelligence capabilities to ensure meaningful support of the private sector’s defensive efforts. The Commission’s work will no doubt continue to move the needle to where we must be in order to address the many existing cyber insecurities in our nation.”
Andrew Borene
– NSI Senior Fellow; CEO, Cipherloc Corporation & QuantaNova
“The report is right. America is flat out not ready to battle adversaries in cyberspace. We need to start talking about cyber the way we talk about large-scale terrorist attacks. Our adversaries don’t care if you’re public or private sector, if you’re a government agency or a private business – but that’s how we insist on defending ourselves. The real lesson from 9/11 is that we have to be willing to erase those lines and tackle the threat together. This report gives us the answers before we’re tested by a cyber 9/11. We’d be fools to ignore it again – this could be our last alarm bell.”
Christopher Bright
– NSI Visiting Fellow; Professorial Lecturer, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
“When faced with novel and complex national security threats, since at least the Eisenhower Administration’s Solarium exercise in 1953, the federal government has called upon outside experts to help craft a response. Just as there is disagreement about many aspects of past initiatives, the recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission will no doubt prompt debate. What should not be obscured in these discussions, however, is the dangers highlighted in this report and the urgent need to take action.”
Megan Brown – NSI Senior Fellow and Associate Director for Cybersecurity Programs; Partner, Wiley Rein LLP
“The Report is a clarion call for more regulation and government power. It makes several helpful recommendations but includes heavy handed commands to the private sector. It is rife with the statement ‘Congress should pass a law’ – which should make readers nervous. The proposed ‘certification and labeling authority’ is one example. It would put government in the middle of private innovation, and oversimplifies cyber as something easy to quantify and communicate, like Energy Star or nutrition labels.”
Jim Danoy
– NSI Visiting Fellow; Former Defense Intelligence Executive, U.S. Department of Defense
“The Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s (CSC) call for greater interaction between the Intelligence Community (IC) and the private sector, particularly in the area of information-sharing will be a critical component of the ‘layered cyber deterrence’ strategic approach outlined by the CSC. The ability to deter, detect, deny, and respond with ‘speed and agility’ to defend U.S. people, property, and interests in cyberspace as the report demands will be dependent on and enabled through exquisite intelligence. Outdated U.S. government information sharing directives must be revised and outmoded and inadequate information technology (IT) dissemination systems upgraded—all with the need to protect sensitive information.
As part of the CSC approach the IC will require greater ‘situational awareness’ of the cyberthreats and vulnerabilities facing the private sector. As noted in the CSC report, private sector feedback to the IC on the nature of the threat it faces will be essential and must be timely and detailed in order for the IC to craft useful collection requirements and execute effective support operations. This will require an unprecedented level of trust and confidence between the private sector and the IC that to date has been uneven across the public-private domain. While a close collaborative partnership between the private sector and the IC may be uncomfortable for some, each must undertake an intensified strategic communications outreach effort to change mindsets as part of the ‘shape behavior’ component of the CSC’s call to action. I applaud the Commission’s call for a comprehensive government review of the IC ‘s ability to provide support to the private sector as it pertains to cybersecurity and ways to address identified shortfalls.”
Sean Kanuck 
– NSI Advisory Board Member; Former National Intelligence Officer for Cyber Issues, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
“The Solarium report is a formidable summation of the current state of affairs. Its near-term impact will depend on implementation of the numerous policy recommendations, but ultimate success will require adoption of even more advanced initiatives for artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”
Gentry Lane
– NSI Visiting Fellow; CEO and founder of ANOVA Intelligence
“The Cyber Solarium Commission report endeavors to add context, personalize and make more compelling the incremental and abstract nature of cyber conflict. The scope is wide-sweeping and the majority of proposals are obvious. However the proposed expansion of DHS’s authority is worrying. Despite the stellar leadership of CISA Director Chris Krebs, DHS is a shell of the agency it was meant to be. Severely understaffed in general, and even more so by those with significant cyber expertise, morale is scarce and efficiency of action is scarcer. The CSC report’s overall strategy of layered deterrence via shaping behavior, denying benefits and imposing costs is straight out of any military strategy primer. By prioritizing national security and public safety, some proposals will meet resistance by those who prioritize profits. It will be interesting to see how many of these recommendations will be adopted by the next administration.”
Andrea Limbago – NSI Senior Fellow; Chief Social Scientist at Virtru
“We are dangerously insecure in cyber. The Cyberspace Solarium Commission report quickly acknowledges this reality and highlights the infinite ways cyberspace shapes society and our national and economic security. We are at an inflection point, and authoritarian regimes currently are shaping this reality. The United States has failed to keep pace with other countries in shaping the digital revolution.
This new report refreshingly and clearly demonstrates this failure and introduces solutions to innovate across technology, governance, and norms, and to reestablish global leadership across each of these areas. The report is significant in its balanced approach to offense and defense, with key insights focused on the necessity of resilience. Whether through the creation of trusted supply chains ecosystems to promoting greater digital literacy and civics education, the report takes a necessarily nuanced approach to defense. In fact, the report highlights the need for a national data security and privacy protection law, a conversation that is too often disconnected from broader cybersecurity conversations much to the detriment of our national and economic security.
Oddly, the report seems to have a mixed relationship with math. Concrete recommendations include a new Bureau of Cyber Statistics and a Joint Collaborative Environment for secure data sharing and collaboration, as well as a strong prioritization of artificial intelligence research. These are welcome acknowledgements of the current and future digital landscape. In fact, the report declares that it is the actors with the best algorithms and tech that have the upper hand.
At the same time, the report fails to take a stance on the encryption debate that grows stronger by the day. The report (p 17) explicitly acknowledges how authoritarian states build in backdoors for government access that allows surveillance at home and abroad, but fails to take a stance against these backdoors. In fact, the report (p 95) acknowledges that encryption is essential to combat this surveillance and is necessary for a free and open internet, not to mention protecting data against the full-range of threats listed in the first fifth of the report. To its credit, the opening statement admits the lack of agreement in this area, demonstrating just how fragile this essential protection is and the potential that a U.S. anti-encryption policy could be an ‘own goal’ making life easier for the range of adversaries.
Finally, while the report does a great job addressing the broad range of innovations required across technology, governance, and norms, it fell slightly short in its overview of the challenges. It describes the state and non-state actors well, but does not include the emerging threat to security and stability posed by the growing privatization of hackers for hire and disinformation for hire that continues, such as the NSO Group and Dark Matter, or so-called black PR firms.
Regardless of this oversight, the report is a welcome first step, with concrete recommendations for finally making progress toward a coherent national cyber strategy. It rightly details the ways the US – in collaboration with allies – must take the leadership role and craft the playbook for a digital democracy. Absent this digital modernization across technology, governance, and norms, authoritarian regimes will continue to fill this global vacuum to the detriment of democracy across the globe as well as our national and economic security.”
Andrew McClure – NSI Visiting Fellow; Principal, ForgePoint Capital
“The Cyber Solarium Commission is perhaps the most ambitious review of the nation’s cyber strategy in years. Unlike other run-of-the-mill think tank reports or academic papers, the Commissioners put forward practical recommendations, with clear steps toward implementation, to advance national security and sustain the health of the digital economy.
While many of the report’s proposals are welcome, not all recommendations will be met without resistance. It’s unlikely the Executive branch would welcome a Senate-confirmed National Cyber Director in the White House. However, restoring the role of the Cybersecurity Coordinator at the National Security Council would re-elevate cybersecurity as a strategic imperative across the government.
Other elements are missing from the report. Given the importance placed in the report on election security and countering disinformation, the private sector is looking to the government to lead a coordinated approach with industry to counter foreign malign influence operations, akin to a process established for coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
Nonetheless, among the report’s most important recommendations is the call for greater collaboration on data sharing among cyber insurers given the industry’s broader capacity to set standards for corporate hygiene, from seat belts to fire safety.
Most importantly, the Commissioners chart a future to regain American leadership in cybersecurity, by setting and influencing emerging standards, or leading the dialogue on acceptable norms of behavior in cyberspace, to blunt many of the gains authoritarian regimes have made to undermine human rights in the digital realm or undermine supply chains to fuel their surveillance states.”
Stephen Viña
– NSI Visiting Fellow; Former Chief Counsel for Homeland Security, U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security
“The call to action by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission launches a bold new strategy to better strengthen cybersecurity and build more resilient infrastructure in the United States. With over seventy-five recommendations, the ‘layered cyber deterrence’ approach has the potential to reshape our country’s cyber policies for the next generation. Real progress, however, will be challenging without a strong partnership between industry and government. This report provides a solid foundation for continued collaboration among cyber stakeholders but more work needs to be done. Now is time for Congress, the Administration, and industry to come together and turn this cyber blueprint into action.”
Dave Weinstein – NSI Visiting Fellow; Vice President of Threat Research, Claroty, Inc.
“I highly commend the Chairmen, Commissioners, and Solarium staffers for their strategic observations and practical recommendations for improving the state of the Nation’s cybersecurity. Having faced these challenges first in government and now in industry, I’m particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of ‘operationalizing’ public-private partnerships in this domain. Today the burden of defense against state-backed cyber threats rests largely with America’s private sector. Government at all levels must share in this burden. The notion of ‘ruthlessly prioritizing support to private entities’ should be adopted and codified by Congress with expediency and in a manner that doesn’t levy additional undue burdens on critical infrastructure owners and operators.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this analysis are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the National Security Institute or any agency of the U.S. government. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the National Security Institute or any U.S. government entity.
March 12, 2020
Contact: Jessica Moreno
[email protected]
703-993-8165
Arlington, VA – President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom to retired US Army Gen. Jack Keane on Tuesday, March 10, at a ceremony at the White House, describing him as a “visionary, a brilliant strategist, and an American hero.” He is also an Advisory Board Member at the National Security Institute (NSI), located at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the award is the Nation’s highest civilian honor. It is awarded by the President of the United States to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Gen. Keane completed 37 years of public service in December 2003, culminating in his appointment as acting Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army. As the chief operating officer of the Army for over four years, he directed 1.5 million soldiers and civilians in 120 countries, with an annual operating budget of 110 billion dollars. He was in the Pentagon on 9/11 and provided oversight and support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since 2004, Gen. Keane spent a decade conducting frequent trips to Iraq and Afghanistan for senior defense officials with multiple visits during the surge period in both countries directly assisting Gen. David Petraeus. He is currently a senior strategist analyst for Fox News and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, a national security policy think tank.
“Gen. Jack Keane is a true American patriot and has served our nation with great distinction and honor for more than three decades. We are thrilled at the recognition of his service and commitment to our national security and are proud to have the opportunity to work with him at the National Security Institute,” said NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer.
The retired general was joined by members of his family, as well as distinguished leaders, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Gen. Keith B. Alexander, who is also an NSI Advisory Board Member.
“I’m deeply honored by this extraordinary award and to receive it here in the White House surrounded by family, my friends, and by senior government officials, it is really quite overwhelming,” Gen. Keane said.
Watch the video here.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its visiting fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.
In This Episode: “There is not a model for nation building. We do not build nations. The citizens of a country build themselves.” says George Ingram, Senior Fellow in Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution.
Fault Lines welcomes George Ingram, Senior Fellow in Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution, to discuss US assistance in fragile states. George recently served as an advisor to a congressionally-mandated task force looking at this issue. Can American foreign aid programs address the root causes of war and violent extremism? How are Congress and the Trump administration using the foreign policy toolbox to address crises before they start? How are our foreign aid programs fitting in as the US pivots toward the Great Power Competition with China? George and our host, Lester Munson, answer these questions and many more!
In This Episode: “So the question on the table is really whether or not [investment from China] is beneficial for a country like Kenya, or if China is really acting as a new colonial power.” says Fault Lines Host Jodi Herman.
China is spending $20 billion or more each year in Africa and inundating the continent with infrastructure projects, cheap phones, television programming, and communications networks. Why is China making this bet and is it working? How are the Trump administration and Congress responding and what is at stake for American interests? Guest NSI Fellow Andy Keiser sits in again with Jodi, Dana and Lester to discuss these questions and many more.
In This Episode: “You know nature abhors a vacuum, and, as the polar ice cap shrinks, people are going to move in and the degree of human activity is going to increase” says NSI Visiting Fellow and former senior intelligence official Jim Danoy.
What do Russia, China and Canada all have in common? All disagree – in one manner or another – with American policy goals in the Arctic, where climate change is driving opportunities and challenges for US policy-makers. In this episode, former senior intelligence official Jim Danoy discusses his paper, “The Arctic: Securing the High Ground,” with host Lester Munson. They discuss the fascinating policy dilemmas posed by the unique geography of the North Pole and how the United States can exploit new opportunities to maximum benefit.
In This Episode: “This to me is another example that this model is not stable and it doesn’t do better for its people” says former Senior Staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Dana Stroul
Our favorite foreign policy nerds – with the addition of NSI Visiting Fellow Andy Keiser – discuss the geopolitics of the Coronavirus that has massively impacted China and its economy. Listen in as Jodi, Dana, Lester and Andy discuss what the Coronavirus pandemic may mean for China’s place in the world, China’s internal politics, and the ins-and-outs of the U.S. response.
