Open Forum: Battling Cyber Threats through Radical Collaboration

Cyber threats are reaching ever-higher levels of sophistication. A rapidly expanding arsenal of digital tactics and weapons can wreak havoc on corporate networks and databases. Recently disclosed vulnerabilities — Spectre, Meltdown, and Foreshadow — are now affecting computer hardware. The legacy approach to fighting software breaches — Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure, or CVD — will need a refresh if it is to adequately address this newest breed of threats.
To better protect against cyber criminals, companies can do plenty alone, from making sure they have the best intelligence about potential attacks to frequently testing the state of their cyber defenses. But the sheer volume of threats we now face means organizations can’t battle alone. Even the fiercest of competitors must work more closely together. To foil criminals, unprecedented levels of cooperation and information sharing are essential. 
A host of hurdles can frustrate collaboration efforts, from technical and organizational barriers to antitrust laws restricting data swapping. What should companies consider to tackle cyber crime? How radical do we need to be? Our experts’ panel will debate this timely and important topic, and recommend ways to deal with some of the biggest barriers to radical collaboration. 
Speakers:
Deirdre Mulligan, associate professor, School of Information; faculty director, Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, UC Berkeley
John Neuffer, president and chief executive officer, Semiconductor Industry Association
Audrey Plonk, senior director of public policy, Intel
Ari Schwartz, managing director of Cybersecurity Services, Venable
Moderator – Martin Giles, San Francisco bureau chief of the MIT Technology Review and senior industry fellow for UC Irvine’s Center for Digital Transformation