Wild West Hackin' Fest - Deadwood 2024

As a “person of a certain age, with certain experiences”, I can attest that life is fraught with uncertainty. Society is increasingly dependent on undependable technology. (This is, after all, why we all have jobs.) Whether from extreme weather, hostile events, squirrels with poor judgment, or from the random chaos of normal life, disruptions seem increasingly frequent. Incidents are also likely to be more complex, with more chaotic effects. Without electricity for power, communications can be disrupted. Without water, medical care becomes virtually impossible very quickly. The potential effects have gone beyond inconvenient to existential.

Adding fear to uncertainty, China has announced its intention to annex Taiwan by 2027. US cybersecurity leadership has testified that a Chinese hacking group known as Volt Typhoon has been conducting campaigns to pre-position malware in US water infrastructure. The goal of these campaigns is to create a credible threat (disruption of the water supply, with predictable consequences) to the US in support of its annexation of Taiwan.

As civic-minded members of the cybersecurity community, how can we respond to these threats in ways that will avoid encouraging doubt and will inspire confidence in the communities and neighborhoods in which we live? I hope that you will leave this talk better informed, and inspired to do at least one thing in your neighborhood and community that will influence others to do the same