Computers, Freedom, and Privacy 2015

I am heading to (and speaking at) the 25th Anniversary Computers, Freedom, and Privacy (CFP) this week over in Alexandria, VA.  Looking forward to seeing old friends, colleagues, and meeting new folks interested in exploring the intersection of policy, technology, and action.

On Day 2 (Wed) I am moderating a late-afternoon panel session with fellow CIS Affiliate Dr. Andrea Matwyshyn (Northeastern University) and Mr. Patrick McDonald (Google) entitled, "Is There a Meaningful Solution for Security Disclosure in a Democratic Society?"  There, we will discuss the current state of security vulnerability disclosure practices (e.g., bug bounty programs, public-private partnerships, and disclosure practices, including 0-days) and how existing and proposed initiatives/legislation (e.g., DMCA, CFAA,SOPA, CISA, fusion centers) can influence this process and Internet security. We hope to provide an objective and operational understanding of this critical and complex issue and expect to provide an interactive forum to identify potentially acceptable solutions for all involved stakeholders.

The overall CFP 2015 agenda looks promising, and is kicked off by a Day 1 morning keynote by Edward Snowden. Per the conference website, CFP 2015 will focus on the growing tensions between, on the one hand, maturing information technology and its benefit to innovation and free speech online and, on the other, the threat that technology poses in areas as diverse as consumer privacy, racially biased policing, political dissent worldwide and, indeed, to the teeming marketplace of digital speech and association enabled by that very technology. 

See you there!