CYBER INSECURITY

This book has taken several years to materialize. Back in 2013, with the help of Eric Ormes, we began planning a briefing series for professional staffers on Capitol Hill to address what they saw as a glaring lack of understanding about cybersecurity in official Washington. That program got underway in 2015, when—in collaboration with the American Foreign Policy Council’s Defense Technology Program and a rotating group of experts—we held five events for Congressional staff. The briefings received an overwhelmingly positive reception, and were attended by staff from more than half of the Senate and nearly a hundred House offices. The success of this series, as well as the numerous requests for additional information that followed, made it clear that a larger and more comprehensive treatment of the subject matter was necessary. Hence this book.

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We could not have done this alone. A number of individuals and organizations played a critical role in the development of this book, and deserve mention.

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First, American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) president Herman Pirchner Jr. has our thanks for his support of the inaugural briefing series and, thereafter, of this book project. His unwavering confidence in our abilities throughout was crucial to our success. We were also fortunate to have the support of a generous friend and donor, who—while anonymous—was instrumental in helping shape the direction of this project.

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Nor could either the briefing series or the book have happened without the generosity of the William H. Donner Foundation, which deserves our deep gratitude for understanding the importance of cyber threats to U.S. national security and economic vitality. So, too, do the contributors to this volume, who are the real talent behind a work that draws together a broad range of complex and arcane concepts.

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Several others deserve credit as well. The New America Foundation, including Rob Morgus and Ian Wallace, played an integral role in connecting us with many of the experts who ultimately became the contributors for the book. AFPC vice-president Ilan Berman provided guidance with proposal writing and the publication process. Elizabeth Wood, AFPC’s Special Programs Coordinator, gave first-rate copy editing assistance. We also benefited from the efforts of several dedicated researchers, who helped fact check the manuscript, format the footnotes, and lent a hand in graphic design: Amanda Azinheira, Christine Beauchemin, Ivanna Kuz, Georgina O’Shea, Paige Rotunda, Hannah Tyrrell, Alex Werman, and Simone Worthy. Additional thanks go to our outside reviewers, and to those who provided feedback, including Dr. Allan Friedman, Michael Specter, Richard Barnes, Dr. Peter Singer, and Eric Ormes.

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On a personal note, Richard would like to thank his loving wife Allyson, his sons James and Nathan, and his extended family for their invaluable support and understanding during the production of this book. Trey would like to thank his Dad and brothers for their patience during this process—and to his advisors, Drs. Lance Hoffman, Allan Friedman, Susan Sell, Robert Adcock, and Steve Balla, for support on this and related projects.

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Richard M. Harrison               Trey Herr