Energy & Manufacturing

9:00am

Networking and Breakfast

9:15am

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Dr. Farnam Jahanian
President
Carnegie Mellon University

Mr. George Fischer
Group President
Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Dr. Steven Ashby
Director
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 

9:30am

The Council, the EMCP and the Cyber Landscape

The Honorable Deborah Wince-Smith
President & CEO
Council on Competitiveness

As a nation, the United States is facing a steady and tremendous growth in the volume, types and sophistication of cyber attacks. Securing the 16 critical infrastructure sectors is a critical issue of national security and homeland security and requires coordinated action on the part of government, the private sector and the U.S. military.

But as technological advancement outpaces security, the cybersecurity threat jeopardizes America’s critical infrastructure and, along with it, the economic viability of U.S. businesses and the freedoms Americans exercise every day. 

Building off the work of the Council's cross-sector dialogues held under the umbrella of the Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Partnership, the third in a three-dialogue series on the challenges and opportunities of a cyber-enabled world will focus on the role of government in coordinating and collaborating with private industry, academia and the national labs to ensure security and prosperity in a digital economy.

10:15am

Perspectives from the Administration

10:30am

Coffee Break

11:30am

Securing America's Critical Infrastructure

Every sector of the economy depends on critical infrastructure, both domestically and internationally, in order to operate and thrive.  With roughly eighty-five percent of U.S. critical infrastructure being privately owned or operated, there are often questions around what role government should play in securing this infrastructure. 

Initial Findings

• Voluntary, industry-led cybersecurity standards, created in partnership with government and informed by relevant stakeholders, are needed.
• Cybersecurity should be built into industry and government contracts to incentivize broader adoption.

Key Questions
1.   Given the private ownership of a large percentage of America's critical infrastructure, what role should the government play in ensure these sectors are secure and safe?

2. How can government learn from industry’s response to the growing cyber threat (and vice-versa)?

12:30pm

The Innovation Cycle: From Idea to Implementation

One of the most confounding cybersecurity challenges is the lack of a unified, community-defined research agenda. A coordinated and concerted effort to prioritize research questions is needed, along with an effective technology transfer program that and relies on sustained and significant public-private participation, are needed to ensure high-impact cybersecurity R&D.

Initial Findings:

• A unified, clear research agenda across industry and government is needed in the cybersecurity space. 
• Security must be integrated into products and processes early on in the development cycle rather than being considered an add-on component.

Key Questions
1.     What should be the role of government a whole—as well as different areas within government—in facilitating the transition of new technologies and capabilities to market?

2.     How can the government work to ensure new products and services are designed with a common baseline level of cybersecurity built in from the start rather than an add-on?

1:00pm

Lunch and Presentation by Gallup on Cyber Threat Analysis

2:00pm

Coordination and Collaboration in an Age of Cyber Threats

When it comes to collaboration and threat coordination in the cybersecurity space, challenges may often seem intractable and unmanageable to single agencies, companies and universities—many of which are attempting to tackle similar problems at the same level. Resolving these challenges requires more effective use of limited research dollars through better coordination across industry, academia, the national labs and the various government agencies.  

Initial Findings

• Effort is needed to connect industry with lab and academic research to ensure knowledge transfer and reduce duplication.
• There must be a clearly-articulated federal model for cyber response to critical infrastructure attacks. 
• Cybersecurity should be built into industry and government contracts to incentivize broader adoption.

Key Questions
1.     How do the roles of government  and industry differ when it comes to securing against and responding to cyber-attacks?

2. What would be useful to include in a framework for U.S. industry and government collaboration prior to, during and following a cyber attack?

2:45pm

Perspectives from the Hill

3:00pm

Coffee Break

 4:00pm

Next-Gen Talent: A Cybersecurity Imperative

Workforce development is essential in order to protect critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. It is vitally important that our nation has an adequate, viable cybersecurity workforce to ensure the security of our critical infrastructure, but also to address a myriad of national security and domestic issues. The race to respond to cyber workforce needs has led to inconsistency in program quality and stove piping of expertise. The ability of academia, industry and government to address these challenges collectively while meeting current and future needs will be a key driver of American competitiveness in this burgeoning field.

Initial Findings

• Industry and academia must work together to create a baseline curriculum to educate a knowledgeable, cyber-savvy workforce.
• Barriers prohibiting practitioners to serve as educators must be reduced.

Key Questions
1.     How can different stakeholders work together to create an adequate, viable cybersecurity workforce required to ensure the security of our critical infrastructure?

2.     How can companies and universities mitigate the stove piping of expertise and ensure cybersecurity is a priority across disciplines?

Conclusion and Next Steps