Archive

Cyber Civil Defense

Active Defense, the Congressional Agenda, Teen Hackers, and Critical Infrastructure Resilience: IST at RSA

Active Defense, the Congressional Agenda, Teen Hackers, and Critical Infrastructure Resilience: IST at RSA

IST will once again join the global community of cyber experts in convening in San Francisco for RSAC this March! From active defense, to the congressional agenda, to stopping teen hackers, the IST team and adjuncts will tackle complex issues across sectors.

AI, artificial inteligence, critical infrastructure, cyber, cyber attacks, Cyber Civil Defense, cybersecurity, Ransomware, resilience, RSA

January 28, 2026

Critical Infrastructure, the CVE Program, K-12 Cyber, and Cyber Civil Defense: IST and Partners at Hacker Summer Camp

Critical Infrastructure, the CVE Program, K-12 Cyber, and Cyber Civil Defense: IST and Partners at Hacker Summer Camp

It’s that time of year again: IST is headed to Las Vegas for DEF CON, BSides Las Vegas, and Black Hat! We join our colleagues in the desert each year to share our research, learn from technical experts, and connect with our growing network of stakeholders and partners from across the cyber ecosystem. Here's where you can find us in Las Vegas this August.

Black Hat, BSides, conference, critical infrastructure, CVE, Cyber Civil Defense, DEF CON, Hacker Summer Camp

July 28, 2025

Without Washington? IST’s Michael Klein joins Panel at CLTC’s Cyber Civil Defense Summit to highlight mechanisms for bolstering state and local cyber resilience

Without Washington? IST’s Michael Klein joins Panel at CLTC’s Cyber Civil Defense Summit to highlight mechanisms for bolstering state and local cyber resilience

In June, IST Senior Director Michael Klein spoke on a panel at UC Berkeley’s Center for Long Term Cybersecurity #CyberCivilDefense Summit addressing shared responsibility of regional cyber resilience. Director for Digital Security Taylor Grossman reflects on the conversation, which highlighted pathways for improving state & local cybersecurity.

Cyber Civil Defense, cyber resilience, local cybersecurity, Ransomware, shared responsibility, SLTT, state cybersecurity

July 2, 2025

“We were always prey:” Q&A with Joshua Corman on U.S. critical infrastructure vulnerabilities

“We were always prey:” Q&A with Joshua Corman on U.S. critical infrastructure vulnerabilities

As global tensions escalate, how vulnerable are our lifeline critical infrastructure like water, power, and hospitals, really? IST Executive in Residence Joshua Corman spoke with The Verge’s Justine Calma to break down what sectors are at risk, the consequences of a cyber attack, and UnDisruptable27’s plan to increase community resilience.

critical infrastructure, Cyber Civil Defense, Cyber Resilience Corps, cyber-informed engineering, hospitals, power, Volt Typhoon, water

June 27, 2025

Ransomware Task Force Announces New Funding and Partners for 2024 and Beyond

Ransomware Task Force Announces New Funding and Partners for 2024 and Beyond

The Institute for Security and Technology’s Ransomware Task Force, now in its fourth year of action, is excited to welcome Zscaler and Mastercard as new supporters. In addition, for 2024, we are grateful for the sustaining support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, AWS, Bank of America, Banco Santander, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, and the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, with support from the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación of the Kingdom of Spain and the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy of the United States Department of State.

cyber, Cyber Civil Defense, cybersecurity, funding, Ransomware

December 19, 2024

UnDisruptable27 Project Wants to Shore Up Critical Infrastructure Security

UnDisruptable27 Project Wants to Shore Up Critical Infrastructure Security

In Dark Reading, IST’s Josh Corman & Megan Stifel and funder Craig Newmark explain the need for UnDisruptable27. “Whether it’s food or shelter or warmth, everyone relies on infrastructure to live. Bad actors know that,” Craig said. “This isn’t alarmism.”

cyber attacks, Cyber Civil Defense, infrastructure, security

September 11, 2024

IST announces new partners, funding to advance the Future of Digital Security for 2023

IST announces new partners, funding to advance the Future of Digital Security for 2023

New donors joining the Ransomware Task Force, together with $1 million in additional support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Cyber Initiative, and a total of $1 million from Craig Newmark Philanthropies for 2023 will transform our ability to advance the Future of Digital Security.

Craig Newmark, Cyber Civil Defense, philanthropy, Ransomware

May 9, 2023

Ransomware Task Force: Gaining Ground

May 5, 2023 10:00 am

Ransomware Task Force: Gaining Ground

Ransomware remains a dire threat to businesses, schools, hospitals, individuals, and nations alike. On May 5, 2023, IST hosted a day of reflections on the current status of the ransomware threat, the Ransomware Task Force’s efforts, and what’s to come.

cryptocurrency, Cyber Civil Defense, cybersecurity, operational collaboration, Ransomware

May 5, 2023

IST at RSA: Stronger Together

IST at RSA: Stronger Together

Members of the IST team will be making their way to San Francisco next week for the RSA 2023 Conference. The theme of this year’s RSA conference is “Stronger Together,” an idea that is particularly prevalent in our work.

Cyber Civil Defense, cybersecurity, Ransomware, RSA

April 20, 2023

Megan Stifel on Cyber Civil Defense: “We all have a role to play in creating a more sustainable digital future”

Megan Stifel on Cyber Civil Defense: “We all have a role to play in creating a more sustainable digital future”

Last week, IST’s Megan Stifel joined Stronger Together, a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Cyber Civil Defense initiative, hosted by Aspen Digital and Craig Newmark. She reflects, “Just as civil defense spans individuals, government, and organizations, with Craig’s generous support we have also been working to empower the smallest organizations and leverage the capabilities of the biggest for the improved security of all.”

Cyber Civil Defense

April 20, 2023

Ransomware Task Force Releases Blueprint for Ransomware Defense

Ransomware Task Force Releases Blueprint for Ransomware Defense

The Ransomware Task Force called for the cybersecurity community to “develop a clear, actionable framework for ransomware mitigation, response, and recovery.” The basis for the Blueprint for Ransomware Defense is the CIS Controls, a set of well-regarded and widely-used best practices that help enterprises focus their resources on the critical actions needed to defend against the most common cyber attacks. It includes a subset of these best practices, or “Safeguards,” that are most relevant to combating ransomware.

Blueprint for Ransomware Defense, Cyber Civil Defense, cybersecurity, Ransomware

August 4, 2022

IST Joins Cyber Civil Defense Initiative

IST Joins Cyber Civil Defense Initiative

IST is grateful and excited to announce its participation in the Cyber Civil Defense Initiative, a multi-organization effort spearheaded by Craig Newmark to promote effective cybersecurity practices across the whole of society.

announcements, Craig Newmark, Cyber Civil Defense, Future of Digital Security, Ransomware

May 2, 2022