Public-private partnerships –collaborations between government, industry, and civil society –are critical in the fight against #ransomware and cybercrime. This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, we’re highlighting resources to empower cross-border collaboration. 🧵

IST’s @michaelfklein.bsky.social attended @cltcberkeley.bsky.social's #EdProtect Research Symposium to deliver a keynote address on sector-wide risks and opportunities: “We don’t need to change the practice of 14k school districts. We need to change the practice of 4 or 5 vendors.” 🛡️ Read the recap:

IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson spoke on the #CyberNextDC vulnerability management panel with experts from Venable, Wiz, and the CVE Foundation. What are the possible solutions for the CVE’s funding problems?

At #CyberNextDC, IST Adjunct Jen Ellis moderated the Cyber Luminaries panel with Jaya Baloo, COO & CISO at a stealth startup, Sam Curry, Zscaler CISO & IST Exec in Residence @joshcorman.bsky.social to discuss the latest developments in the fields of AI, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure.

What’s next for #cyber policy? In her keynote at #CyberNextDC, IST CSO @megans.bsky.social laid out how to look at cyber policy ‘through the looking glass’ of the RTF & identified areas she sees as ripe for novel policy solutions. 🛡️ Read her full remarks: securityandtechnology.org/blog/what-cy...

IST Director for Digital Security Taylor Grossman was in The Hague last week to carry out Veil Storm II, the second exercise conducted by the Ransomware Task Force (RTF) in partnership with Europol’s European Cyber Crime Center.

Ransomware victims who engage with law enforcement reduced breach costs by $1m, IBM reports. But when your business is hit with a cyber attack, what comes next? This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, we’re spotlighting our ongoing work to bolster info sharing & operational collaboration. 🧵

🚨 NEW from IST: The CVE Program is at a crossroads. Recent funding issues have exposed key challenges, and without action, the vulnerability identification landscape will fragment. Today’s report provides recs for global policymakers to reimagine the CVE Program for the next 25 years. 🛡️ Learn more:

LIVE at #CyberNextDC, IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson joins a panel to discuss the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Program, the National Vulnerability Database, and how we can close the gaps before adversaries exploit them. 🛡️ Join on Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Happening now at #CyberNextDC, IST Adjunct Advisor Jen Ellis moderates the Cyber Luminaries panel featuring visionaries in the fields of cybersecurity, AI, critical systems, and more – including IST Exec in Residence @joshcorman.bsky.social. 🛡️ Join on Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

@istorg.bsky.social's @megans.bsky.social talks about the progress of the Ransomware Task Force at #CyberNextDC. Watch here: www.youtube.com/live/VxtE68R...

LIVE at #CyberNextDC, IST CSO @megans.bsky.social delivers a keynote on the #RansomwareTaskForce, cyber policy, and what we’re facing in the next few years. 🛡️ Join on Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

IST is going to #CyberNextDC! @megans.bsky.social delivers a keynote on the #RTF's approach to cyber policy, Nicholas Leiserson sits on a vulnerability management panel, while Jen Ellis moderates the Cyber Luminaries panel ft. @joshcorman.bsky.social. 🛡️ Register to attend in person or online:

IST's Dr. Steven Burns is in DC today to join state officials and experts from industry and academia at a USEA forum on the strategic, economic, and humanitarian implications of the recent peace declaration and transit agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. ⚡ Learn more: usea.org/event/naviga...

Modern life runs on energy. Today, IST is announcing the launch of #EnergyFIRST, a flagship initiative to fortify the reliability, affordability, and security of our energy systems, led by IST VP for Energy & National Security Dr. Steven Burns. ⚡Learn more: securityandtechnology.org/blog/announc...

Digital threats have no regard for borders, which is why IST takes an international, multi-stakeholder approach to combating cybercrime. This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, we’re spotlighting some of the work we’ve done on a global scale to help stem the tide of cyber threats. 🧵

In a world with increasing nuclear dyads, can emerging technologies make us safer? On 10/23, IST will host author & international security expert @nktpnd.bsky.social in Palo Alto to discuss his book on the new nuclear age & the changing landscape of nuclear security. 🌐 Register to attend:

IST’s Security Level 5 team is hosting a Happy Hour in San Francisco next week! If you are working in AI security and SL5-adjacent issues, join Philip Reiner, Lisa Thiergart, and others next week for dinner, mingling, and lightning talks. 🔐 Learn more: partiful.com/e/xkJ1hsSoy2...

IST Adjunct Fellow Tiffany Saade headed to the UN last week to attend discussions on its efforts to influence global AI policy. The ideas that come out of the process will need incentives built in to facilitate adoption, she told @cyberscoop.bsky.social. Read more: cyberscoop.com/un-seeks-con...

90% of small businesses report having been victims of a cyber attack, a Coalition survey found. This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, we’re sharing resources to help. The RTF’s Blueprint for Ransomware Defense is an action plan for mitigation, response, & recovery for SMEs. 🛡️ Learn more: bit.ly/42m93Bq

Ahead of the third annual #CyberPolicyAwards on Thursday, February 5, 2026, IST is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to the Cyber Policy Awards organizing committee! We’re excited to welcome Anjelica Dortch, Alison King, and Shane Tews. 🏆 Learn more:

As tech evolves across the world, so do #cyber threats. This #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, IST will share practical resources, novel research & critical insights to help individuals, orgs & communities strengthen their #cybersecurity practices. The NCA’s #Core4 highlights tips to #StaySafeOnline.

Over the last several years, @lawfaremedia.org, in partnership with @brookings.edu, has led the #SecuritybyDesign project. Tomorrow, Lawfare hosts an event to highlight the project’s key findings. IST Senior VP Lauren Zabierek joins other CISA alums in a panel to chart the path forward. 🛡️ Register:

As co-founder of the #Cybersecurity Caucus and a key author on the legislation behind major pillars of the government’s cyber work, few legislators have been so influential on cybersecurity policy as Rep. Michael McCaul. Thank you, Rep. McCaul, and congratulations on your retirement!

“We're asking school districts every day to defend themselves from transnational criminal gangs,” IST's @michaelfklein.bsky.social sat down with the hosts of @fixingschools.bsky.social to break down the importance of #cybersecurity for school systems and how he practices cyber hygiene. 🛡️ Listen now:

#CISA15 will expire in 7 days. In an op-ed last week, IST CSO @megans.bsky.social argued for Congressional action to preserve the measure, which improves and incentivizes the sharing of cyber threat indicators and other information. 🛡️ Read the full op-ed: nexusconnect.io/articles/rea...

Researchers at NYU released a paper claiming to have created a prototype of ransomware orchestrated by AI. How can security experts protect against this next wave of digital attacks? With “‘boring’ cyber hygiene practices,” IST's @tgrossman.bsky.social told @csoonline.bsky.social. 🛡️ Read more:

Last spring, IST Dep. Director for AI Mariami Tkeshelashvili joined the RAND AI-Enabled Policymaking project working session to discuss how AI might enhance the policy cycle & potential technical roadmaps for AI-enabled policymaking. AIPP's first report recaps the meeting. 🧠 Learn more:

Next up: “Advancing Cybersecurity and Regional Cooperation in the Americas” w/ Andre Molina (Sec. of Cyber & Info Security, Brazil), Saul Kattan Cohen (Advisor on Digital Transformation, Colombia), Sheila Casserly (Schneider Electric), & @megans.bsky.social @istorg.bsky.social #LATAMCISO2025

How can regional cooperation in the Americas improve #cybersecurity? Tomorrow, IST CSO @megans.bsky.social moderates a panel at Digi Americas #LATAM CISO Summit to discuss how countries can balance info sharing & national security priorities. 🛡️ Learn more: digiamericas.org/events/latam...

🚨 NEW from IST: AI has been integral to nuclear weapons systems and operations for decades, but rapidly advancing models pose unforeseen opportunities and challenges. IST’s Sylvia Mishra & @philreiner.bsky.social co-authored a short primer on 'novel' AI in a nuclear context. 🌐 Read the report:

New @hacktheplant.bsky.social: @brysonbort.bsky.social and CRI Deputy Managing Director Lessie Skiba sit down to discuss their new program connecting #cyber experts with small and medium sized water utilities to bolster #cybersecurity and resilience. 🎙️ Listen to episode 47:

IST Adjunct Senior Technical Advisor, Scythe CEO & ICS Village co-founder @brysonbort.bsky.social has been inducted into the Industrial Cyber Hall of Fame! “My focus isn’t just on protecting systems, it’s on building resilience at the national and global level,” he said. 🛡️ Read the full interview:

SAVE THE DATE: the 3rd annual #CyberPolicyAwards will be held on Feb. 5 2026 at the National Press Club in DC! IST is proud to present another year of the premier gathering of the U.S. cyber community & key international partners to recognize those who have driven progress. 🏆 Register for updates:

Next week, IST CSO @megans.bsky.social joins Digi Americas at the #LATAM CISO Summit for a panel on #cybersecurity & regional cooperation. Cross-sector leaders will discuss how LatAm countries can balance info sharing & national security priorities. 🛡️ Learn more: digiamericas.org/events/latam...

As AI models continue to proliferate and gain prominence, what are the cross-sector implications for national security, strategic competitiveness & more? For the TechnologIST, we sat down with IST experts to learn how their work addresses these risks & opportunities. 🗞️ The TechnologIST | AI at IST:

In July, a globally coordinated operation dismantled the BlackSuit #ransomware group, confiscating $1M+ in illicit crypto. The takedown “highlights that ransomware endures because it is profitable & seizing illicit funds strikes at that incentive,” IST’s Gigi Flores Bustamante writes. 🖋️ Read more:

IST’s recent memo rec’d policy changes to make the USF a resource for school cybersecurity, including expanding E-Rate. For GovTech, @michaelfklein.bsky.social expands: “nobody wants their school district ransomwared…it's not a question of if, but when. How can we reduce harm?” 🛡️ Read the interview:

@istorg.bsky.social was in KY this week supporting K-12 #cybersecurity. Michael Klein joined Jefferson County Public Schools for a press conference announcing nearly $4 million from the FCC to improve JCPS’ #cyber defenses. Watch the WLKY feature: www.wlky.com/article/jcps...

IST’s @michaelfklein.bsky.social was in Kentucky this week to join Jefferson County Public Schools in announcing nearly $4 million from the FCC to significantly upgrade the district’s cybersecurity defenses. 🛡️Watch the full spot on WAVE-LOU (NBC) News:

Useful analysis in @cyberscoop.bsky.social from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies team about the State Department's efforts to reorganize the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy - potentially in contravention of elements of the Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2022. 🛡️ Read more:

For the #NatSpecs blog, IST Senior VP for Policy Nicholas Leiserson examines the latest breach of the U.S. federal court systems: “as a nation founded on the rule of law, this incident (or series of incidents) presents a host of challenges for policymakers & the broader public.” 🛡️ Read his analysis:

The meeting of Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska this week presents a rare and urgent opening for both leaders to make tangible progress on nuclear arms control, IST Senior Policy Advisor Sahil V. Shah and co-author Dmitry Stefanovich argue in @politico.com. 🌐 Read their recommendations:

🚨NEW: Notifying victims of a cyber incident is key to mitigating harm, but providing secure notifications has proven a challenge. Today’s report examines CSRB’s rec for cloud providers to develop an amber alert-style mechanism, exploring challenges and a roadmap to implementation. 🛡️ Read the report:

New @hacktheplant.bsky.social: @brysonbort.bsky.social sits down with NY Chief Cyber Officer Colin Ahern & OH Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor Kirk Herath to discuss the importance of community #cybersecurity protections and what makes local infrastructure critical. 🎙️Listen to episode 46:

Many critical sector supply chains rely on nonprofits, creating cascading failures that threaten the communities they serve. @cltcberkeley.bsky.social's Grace Menna unpacked nonprofits’ growing cybersecurity challenges & potential solutions in her presentation at @bsideslv.org. 🛡️ Watch now:

Hosted by @joshcorman.bsky.social, the final day of the IATC track at @bsideslv.org focused on no-kidding short-term measures to reduce risks to our critical infrastructure systems and #UnDisruptable27. “We have to be forthright,” with local owners, operators, he explained. 🛡️ Watch the presentation:

“Today, zombies are running amok.” Those zombies, according to @consumerreports.org Policy Fellow Stacey Higginbotham, are the end-of-life IoT devices that permeate our homes and businesses which no longer receive vendor support or updates. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bTA...

This morning at @bsideslv.org, INL Chief Scientist Dr. Emma Stewart & IST Adjunct Senior Advisor for Cyber and Supply Chain Risk Munish Walther-Puri examined how energy infrastructure forms the backbone of resilient & robust AI ecosystems. 🛡️ Watch their presentation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bTA...

What’s next for the CVE program? Now at @bsideslv.org, IST SVP for Digital Security Strategy @boblord.bsky.social moderates a keynote conversation with experts from @github.com, CISA, @cisco.com & @runzero.com to discuss the challenges to and possible paths forward for CVE. 🛡️ Watch live: