Charlottesville, Va., Sept. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a technology-enabled world, democratic nations can now take groundbreaking steps to create online forums that bring people together across traditional barriers, expand opportunities for civic engagement, and realize the promise of ensuring that every individual has the right to vote. In the same vein, cyber criminals and foreign adversaries have unmatched tools to exploit these new means of engagement—and undermine the essential values that underpin U.S. society and other democracies throughout the world.
Government agencies are left with a dilemma: To what extent can they monitor human networks—an ongoing concern to civil liberties advocates—to detect and thwart attacks that can imperil democracy?
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Admiral Michael S. Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency and inaugural commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, will address this central challenge during a live-streamed talk at the University of Virginia Cyber Innovation and Society Institute’s first Distinguished Speaker Series event for 2019-2020. The event is organized by the University of Virginia School of Engineering and the National Security Policy Center of UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Rogers is a Navy four-star admiral who served as director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command from 2014 to 2018. During his tenure, he managed the largest National Security Agency reorganization in 20 years and oversaw the operationalization of the nation’s cyber mission into a unified combatant command, U.S. Cyber Command.
Over the course of his address, Rogers will draw from decades of expertise to share how our national security defenses can best be prepared for cyber-attacks, further steps the nation can take to prevent future attacks, and how to ensure these efforts both can respect individual civil liberties and advance democratic aims.
The Distinguished Speaker Series, which launched last year, will present yet another unique opportunity for the public to interact with one of the nation’s foremost cybersecurity experts. The event highlights a long-standing strength at UVA for research and teaching that analyzes the implications of technology for society. UVA Engineering has an embedded Department of Engineering and Society, including faculty who specialize in science, technology and society and who examine the ethical, cultural, economic and political contexts of technology innovation.
The Cyber Innovation and Society Institute, which UVA launched in 2018, brings faculty together from technical and humanities fields across the University to understand the impact of cyber systems on society, especially how they affect human values such as privacy, freedom, democracy, individual autonomy; to understand the risks and consequences of attacks on cyber systems and strategies to respond to attacks; and to ensure that these systems operate as intended (secure and dependable) and the data they collect and process is secure from improper use.
Rather than wait until cyber technology is fully established and threats become pervasive, the Institute adopts an anticipatory approach, proactively addressing political, ethical, and data ramifications before they emerge. In the process, the Institute strives to ensure that cyber technology equally, fairly and dependably benefits all individuals in our society.
The Institute is led by two Engineering School faculty members--Jack W. Davidson, professor of computer science, and Deborah G. Johnson, Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics, emeritus--with faculty participants from across the University including business, law and arts and sciences.
EVENT DETAILS:
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, 1-2 p.m.
The event is full for in-person participation, but will be live-streamed at https://cyberinnovation.virginia.edu.
MORE ABOUT MICHAEL S. ROGERS:
Rogers is a U.S. Navy four-star admiral who served as director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command from 2014 to 2018. During his tenure he managed the largest National Security Agency reorganization in 20 years as well as oversaw operationalization of the nation’s cyber mission into a unified combatant command, U.S. Cyber Command. From his post in the highest levels of the U.S. government, he coordinated cyber and intelligence efforts with both the U.S. intelligence community and international security counterparts. He also assisted in the development of national and international policy with respect to cyber, intelligence and technology – including extensive work with corporate leadership in the finance, information technology, telecommunications and technology sectors.
Rogers retired from the Navy in 2018 after nearly 37 years of naval service. He is a senior fellow and adjunct professor with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management’s Public Private Initiative and a member of the advisory board of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. He is also a member of the United States Naval Institute Board of Directors and works with the National Defense University in the mentoring and professional development of Department of Defense flag and general officers.
He also serves as a senior advisor to corporations in the areas of technology, finance and communications on cybersecurity for human networks.
About the University of Virginia Cyber Innovation and Society Institute: UVA’s Cyber Innovation and Society Institute carries out multidisciplinary research and education initiatives that focus on the complex technical, social and policy challenges posed by emerging cyber innovations, ensuring that cyber technology benefits all of society equally, fairly and dependably. The Institute has also launched a Distinguished Speaker Series, which will bring cyber, research, and policy thought leaders to the UVA School of Engineering over the course of the year to discuss topics in emerging technologies and assess their impact on society. Each lecture in the series is open to the UVA community and general public.
About UVA Engineering: As part of the top-ranked, comprehensive University of Virginia, UVA Engineering is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected engineering schools. Our mission is to make the world a better place by creating and disseminating knowledge and by preparing future engineering leaders. Outstanding students and faculty from around the world choose UVA Engineering because of our growing and internationally recognized education and research programs. UVA is the No. 1 public engineering school in the country for the percentage of women graduates, among schools with at least 75 degree earners; the No. 1 public engineering school in the United States for the four-year graduation rate of undergraduate students; and the top engineering school in the country for the rate of Ph.D. enrollment growth. Learn more at engineering.virginia.edu.
About The National Security Policy Center: The National Security Policy Center contributes solutions to otherwise intractable national security challenges. We seek to increase knowledge, build capability, develop relationships, and improve communication, both within U.S. Government, between U.S. Government and academics, and between the United States and foreign powers. Learn more at nspcbatten.org.
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