Could the personal data of millions of Americans be our country's greatest national security treasure? This week, host Elisa is joined by Brandon Pugh, Policy Director and Resident Senior Fellow for the Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats team at the R Street Institute. Together, they discuss the silent behemoth that is online personal data collection and distribution. What could a foreign adversary do with our bulk data? And how close is Congress to passing a framework to address this growing threat? Brandon Pugh is Policy Director and Resident Senior Fellow for the R Street Institute’s Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats teamReferences:Register to attend our June 28th luncheon program: "The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century: A discussion with Harold Hongju Koh"R Street Event, June 18th: "Cybersecurity: Tackling the Policy Puzzle"The AI Summit at Blackhat USA – August 6th 2024National Cyber Security Strategy, March 2023Microtargeting Unmasked: Safeguarding Law Enforcement, the Military, and the Nation in the Era of Personalized ThreatsThe General Data Protection RegulationThe American Privacy Rights Act (APRA)H.R.8152, American Data Privacy and Protection ActH.R.7520, Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024S. 1409, Kids Online Safety ActCyber Civil Defense Initiative

On May 29th, the Standing Committee on Law and National Security hosted a luncheon featuring Jonathan Meyer, General Counsel for the DHS. Moderated by committee member Harvey Rishikof, Jonathan shared some of the department's key insights from the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, highlighting threats like foreign and domestic terrorism, immigration, cyber attacks, and the leveraging of AI technologies to create and spread disinformation. The following episode features his commentary from the event, as well as questions from the audience.Jonathan E. Meyer is General Counsel for the DHSModerated by Harvey Rishikof, Senior Counselor of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityReferences:C-SPAN: "Homeland Security General Counsel on Agency Priorities". May 29th, 2024"Homeland Threat Assessment 2024". The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and AnalysisH.R. 815, "Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024"FISA, Section 230The General Data Protection Regulation

(Part 2 of 2) Continuing our series on the intersection of sci-fi and national security, host Elisa is joined by Sunita Patel, Senior Assistant General Counsel for Product Security at Micron. Together they unpack the 1990's film, Total Recall, exploring themes of memory, identity, and reality. What can sci-fi tales like Total Recall teach us about real "brain-computer" projects like Nuralink? And do we have the right agency to oversee this type of technology, taking all of its benefits and risks into account?Sunita Patel is the Senior Assistant General Counsel for Product Security at MicronReferences:Ramkumar, Amrith. “The Solar Breakthrough That Could Help the U.S. Compete with China.”The Wall Street Journal, 30 May 2024Rivkin, David, and Lee Casey. Opinion | Israel, Hamas and the Law of War, 29 May 2024Verhoeven, Paul. Total Recall. TriStar Pictures, 1990We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, by Philip K. Dick"Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States Senate." The Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group“AI Governance Needs Sociotechnical Expertise.” Data & Society. 15 May 2024Markoff, John. “Elon Musk’s Neuralink Wants ‘sewing Machine-like’ Robots to Wire Brains to the Internet.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 July 2019H.R. 4346, Chips and Science ActThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)S. 2103, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Continuing our series on the intersection of sci-fi and national security, host Elisa is joined by Sunita Patel, Senior Assistant General Counsel for Product Security at Micron. Together they unpack the 1990's film, Total Recall, exploring themes of memory, identity, and reality. What can sci-fi tales like Total Recall teach us about real "brain-computer" projects like Neuralink ? And how could technologies like Neuralink impact society in the future, to include on topics of national security, medical care, cybersecurity policymaking, and privacy?Sunita Patel is the Senior Assistant General Counsel for Product Security at MicronReferences:Verhoeven, Paul. Total Recall. TriStar Pictures, 1990We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, by Philip K. Dick"Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States Senate." The Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group“AI Governance Needs Sociotechnical Expertise.” Data & Society. 15 May 2024Markoff, John. “Elon Musk’s Neuralink Wants ‘sewing Machine-like’ Robots to Wire Brains to the Internet.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 July 2019H.R. 4346, Chips and Science ActThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)S. 2103, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

This week, Elisa dives straight in with a quick national security news update, spotlighting the recent death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, as well as the ICC announcement of war crime charges against both Israel and Hamas leaders in relation to the Oct. 7th attacks and aftermath. Following the news update, Elisa revisits a previously aired discussion with Dimitri Alperovitch, co-founder of Crowdstrike Inc. and a visionary in cybersecurity, on global power dynamics in the cyber realm.Dmitri Alperovitch is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a non-profit focused on advancing American prosperity and global leadership in the 21st century and beyond:References:Alperovitch, Dmitri, and Garrett Graff. World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century. PublicAffairs, 2024Listen in to Dimitri's podcast, "Geopolitics Decanted" by SilveradoThe CHIPS Act of 2022Alperovitch, Dmitri. “The Case for Cyber-Realism.” Foreign Affairs, 2022NSLT Ep. 277, "Justice on the World Stage: Inside the ICC with Cora True-Frost (Part 1)NSLT Ep. 277, "Justice on the World Stage: Inside the ICC with Cora True-Frost (Part 2)

Looking for the latest national security news? This week, Elisa breaks down recent national security related headlines, including Russia's advancement in Ukraine, major U.S. leaps in quantum computing, and a preview of next week's episode covering how your personal data, including DNA data, are quietly being bought and sold. References:"Russia intensifies Attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv Region." Aljazeera. May 13 2024"Turkey's trade with Russia drops after U.S. pressure." Financial Times. April 30 2024 E.O. 14081: Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy

This week, Elisa is back with Tracy Reynolds and Harvey Rishikof to discuss the second book in Octavia Butler's popular Parable series, Parable of the Talents. Together they discuss its real-world connections, ironic cultural and religious references, and its cautionary connections to today's national security law issues. Elisa opens the episode by running through the latest national security news headlines. Harvey Rishikof is Senior Counselor of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityTracy Reynolds is a Commander in the U.S. Navy, and Co-Chair of the Space Law Interest Group with the American Society of International LawReferences:Now hiring! The ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security is seeking a Program SpecialistCheck out the open internships with the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security:Book: Parable of the Talents, written by Octavia ButlerNSLT Ep. 314, "NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and Understanding Today's Geopolitical Climate with Simon Miles

This week, we continue our series on the intersection of sci-fi and national security, diving into the popular novel and now Netflix series, The Three Body Problem. Host Elisa is joined again by Tracy Reynolds as well as Harvey Rishikof to discuss the book's themes, lessons and cautionary connections to today's national security issues. In addition, Elisa concludes the episode by running through the latest national security news headlines. Harvey Rishikof is Senior Counselor of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityTracy Reynolds is a Commander in the U.S. Navy, and Co-Chair of the Space Law Interest Group with the American Society of International LawReferences:The ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security is now hiring a Program Specialist! Check out the job description hereCheck out the open internships with the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityBook: The Three Body Problem, written by Cixin LiuInkster, Nigel. “The XI Files: How China Spies.” The Spectator, 25 Apr. 2024

As reality begins to echo the cautionary tales of science fiction, one question looms: are we listening to their warnings? Kicking off our series on the intersection of sci-fi and national security, host Elisa is joined by Tracy Reynolds, U.S. Navy Commander and Co-Chair of the Space Law Interest Group with the American Society of International Law. Together, they embark on a journey through the realms of Dune, Parable of the Sower, and the Lathe of Heaven, unraveling the parallels between fictional narratives and real-world national security challenges. Tracy Reynolds is a Commander in the U.S. Navy, and Co-Chair of the Space Law Interest Group with the American Society of International LawReferences:Book: The Dune Series, written by Frank HerbertBook: Parable of the Sower, written by Octavia ButlerBook: The Lathe of Heaven, written by Ursula Le GuinThe Outer Space TreatyThe UN Convention on the Law of the SeaNSLT Episode: "Seabed Mining as a National Security Threat: The Laws of the Sea with Matt Gianni (Part 1)"

As today's national security threats evolve, they must be met with agile and effective intelligence capabilities. On April 9th, FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke before the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security on the bureau’s priorities, including foreign threats to American elections, cyber-attacks on the US infrastructure and threats posed by foreign adversaries. He also discussed the importance of FISA Section 702 – a tool used to combat threats posed by foreign adversaries. This week, we bring you his remarks to the Committee, which came just three days prior to the House vote reauthorizing 702.Christopher Wray is Director of the Federal Bureau of InvestigationIntroductions by Jason Klitenic, Member, ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityReferences:Transcript: Director Wray's Remarks to the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 Resource Page"Warrant Requirement for FBI’s Section 702 Queries Would Impede Investigations, Endanger National Security, Director Says." FBI.gov. Apr. 9, 2024Barr, Luke. “Foreign Terrorists Targeting US ‘Increasingly Concerning’: FBI Director.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 9 Apr. 2024