Michael Daniel

With cyber threats and ransomware on the rise globally, the Biden administration has enlisted America’s tech titans to help blunt their effects. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, are all in discussions with Washington over how to strengthen the nation’s critical infrastructure defenses against a growing array of both private and state-sponsored attacks. Skeptics question just how much can be achieved, given how connected U.S. society has become. But solutions are emerging, from lifting the veil of cryptocurrencies, a favored transaction among hackers, to making the paying of ransoms illegal. In this special edition of Intelligence Squared’s Agree-to-Disagree series, John Donvan sits down with David Sanger of The New York Times for a closer examination of these attacks before launching into a much more specific debate with two cyber security experts. The debate: Should paying hacker ransoms be illegal? Cyber Threat Alliance president and chief executive Michael Daniel and Rapid7 vice-president Jen Ellis square off in light of recent high-profile hackings.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Daniel, President and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance and former U.S. Cybersecurity Coordinator, teams up with Sergio Caltagirone, a cybersecurity professor at Georgia Tech and co-creator of the Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis. They delve into the evolution of information sharing in cybersecurity, contrasting today’s commercial threat intelligence landscape with past practices. Key discussions include the need for tailored intelligence approaches, new regulatory frameworks, and the challenges organizations face in effectively sharing actionable data amid rising cyber threats.

Michael Daniel, former cybersecurity coordinator for President Obama and current CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, dives deep into the state of US cybersecurity as the 2020 elections approach. He discusses the challenges posed by election hacking and the misleading safety measures that could arise. Daniel emphasizes the critical need for trust among election officials, government, and tech industries, and highlights the urgency to address misinformation and data privacy issues in the digital sphere. His insights shed light on international cyber threats and the potential for catastrophic accidents.