RSA® Conference, the world’s leading information security conferences and expositions, has teamed up with cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier and the Ford Foundation to host the first full-day Public Interest Technologist Track, Bridging the Gap: Cybersecurity + Public Interest Tech, during RSA Conference 2019 in San Francisco. Set to take place March 7, 2019, the event consists of six sessions highlighting public interest technologists inside governments, as part of civil society, at universities, and in corporate environments.
“All security policy issues have strong technology components, and if policy makers get the technology aspect wrong, we just won’t get the policy right,” said Schneier, Fellow and Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School. “Regulators, policy makers and civil society have a dire need for technology expertise, and I’m calling all technologists to play a part by using their tech skills to change the world for the better.”
The full-day track will explore how work in cybersecurity is inexorably intertwined with public policy and the public interest. Whether it’s debates on encryption or vulnerability disclosure, or part of policy discussions about a variety of topics like IoT and AI, public interest technology is a field primed for growth. Through this track, attendees will look at how public interest tech is already changing the way power is distributed, and how decisions are made across public policy, philanthropic organizations, and Silicon Valley board rooms. Attendees will walk away with clear steps to take action and get involved.
“The Ford Foundation has a legacy of helping different professions recognize how they can contribute to the public interest, and we are working with experts like Bruce to develop a path for this vital new field of public interest tech,” said Michael Brennan, Program Officer, Internet Freedom, Ford Foundation. “We need people working at the intersection of technology and the public interest in every sector, industry, and field, and this track at RSA Conference is the first of its kind to engage cybersecurity professionals in this mission.”
“RSA Conference exists to bring the people in the cybersecurity arena together for influential conversations and ongoing education that moves the industry forward and improves our world,” said Sandra Toms, Vice President and Curator of RSA Conference. “This full-day track with the Ford Foundation and Bruce allows us to do just that, and we are excited to be a part of getting this information in front of both experienced and emerging cyber professionals.”
Open to full conference badge holders, and College Day and Security Scholars participants, the Bridging the Gap: Cybersecurity + Public Interest Tech track includes the following sessions and experts:
How Public Interest Technologists are Changing the World: Matt Mitchell, Tactical Tech; Bruce Schneier, Fellow and Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School; and J. Bob Alotta, Astraea Foundation (Moderator)
Public Interest Tech in Silicon Valley: Mitchell Baker, Chairwoman, Mozilla Corporation; Cindy Cohn, EFF; and Lucy Vasserman, Software Engineer, Google
Working in Civil Society: Sarah Aoun, Digital Security Technologist; Peter Eckersley, Partnership on AI; Harlo Holmes, Director of Newsroom Digital Security, Freedom of the Press Foundation; and John Scott-Railton, Senior Researcher, Citizen Lab
Government Needs You: Travis Moore, TechCongress; Hashim Mteuzi, Senior Manager, Network Talent Initiative, Code for America; Gigi Sohn, Distinguished Fellow, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy; and Ashkan Soltani, Independent Consultant, Soltani LLC
Changing Academia: Latanya Sweeney, Harvard and Danny Weitzner, MIT CSAIL
The Future of Public Interest Tech: Bruce Schneier, Fellow and Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School; Ben Wizner, ACLU; and Jenny Toomey, Director, Internet Freedom, Ford Foundation (Moderator)
For more information, visit blog posts on this track from Schneier and the Ford Foundation, and the RSA Conference website.
About RSA Conference
RSA® Conference is the premier series of global events and onDemand programs where the world talks security and leadership gathers, advances and emerges. Whether attending in the U.S., the EMEA region, the Asia-Pacific region or online, RSA Conference events are where the security industry converges to discuss current and future concerns and get access to the people, content and ideas that help enable individuals and companies to win, grow and do their best. It’s about bringing all people in the cybersecurity industry together and empowering the collective “we” of the cybersecurity industry to stand against cyberthreats around the world. RSA Conference is the ultimate marketplace for the latest technologies and hands-on educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover how to make their companies more secure while showcasing the most enterprising, influential and thought-provoking thinkers and leaders in security today. For information on events, online programming and the most up-to-date news pertaining to the information security industry visit www.rsaconference.com.
About the Ford Foundation
https://www.fordfoundation.org/campaigns/public-interest-tech/
