CITP Seminar: Building Cyberweapons Policy

Governments are finding themselves at a crossroads in their policies on how to find, buy, store, use and share vulnerabilities. When is it the right decision for governments to exploit a flaw in a commercial technology for law enforcement or national security purposes and when is it right to share it with the vendor who makes that technology to fix to help companies and consumers protect themselves? How much of this information should be made public? Ari Schwartz, a former special assistant to President Obama on the National Security Council, will explore how governments are addressing these issues and the challenges they face in getting it right.

Bio: Ari Schwartz directs Cybersecurity Services for Venable’s Cybersecurity Risk Management Group. In this role, Ari guides the establishment of cybersecurity consulting services for Venable, assisting organizations with understanding and the development of risk management strategies, including implementation of the Cybersecurity Framework and other planning tools to help minimize risk. Ari also coordinates the Cybersecurity Coalition, a group of leading cybersecurity companies dedicated to educating policymakers on cybersecurity issues and promoting a vibrant marketplace for cybersecurity technology solutions.

Prior to joining Venable, Ari was a member of the White House National Security Council, where he served as special assistant to the president and senior director for cybersecurity. As director, Ari coordinated all network defense cybersecurity policy, including critical infrastructure protection, federal network protection, supply-chain efforts, cybersecurity standards promotion, and information sharing. He led the White House’s legislative and policy outreach to businesses, trade groups, academics, and civil liberties groups on cybersecurity and developed new policies and legislation, including development of the Executive Orders on the Security of Consumer Financial Protection, Cybersecurity Information Sharing, and Sanctions Against Individuals Engaging in Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities. Ari also led the successful White House rollout of the Cybersecurity Framework and the White House Cybersecurity Summit held at Stanford University.

Ari served in the Department of Commerce, where he advised the secretary on technology policy matters related to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He led the department’s Internet Policy Task Force and represented the Obama administration on major Internet policy issues on privacy and security before Congress, at public events, and before the media.

Ari began his career in Washington at OMB Watch. For twelve years, he worked at the Center for Democracy and Technology, including serving as vice president and chief operating officer, and developing legislation and policy related to privacy, cybersecurity, and open government.

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To request accommodations for a disability please contact Jean Butcher, butcher@princeton.edu, at least one week prior to the event.