“Those Darkest Hours”: The Future of American Security

Effective homeland security requires a collaborative effort. Domestic and foreign actors, intent upon undermining US democracy, are launching diffuse, highly sophisticated campaigns to foment fear and disinformation in our daily lives. Federal and local agencies, including tribal and territorial authorities, work assiduously to curtail such individuals, thanks to productive partnerships with private sector entities or nongovernmental organizations that help fortify the homeland security enterprise. As we commemorate the 20^th anniversary of 9/11, this conversation examines the scope and trajectory of the US homeland security mission vis-à-vis public-private partnerships and community engagement at home and abroad.

Moderator:
Kristina Tanasichuk, Executive Editor, Homeland Security Today & Chief Executive Officer, Government Technology & Services Coalition

Panelists:
Lauren Bedula, Managing Director, Beacon Global Strategies LLC
Jamil Farshchi, Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax
The Hon. Sarah Saldaña, Board Member, Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation & Former Director, US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (2014-2017)
Henry H. Willis, Ph.D., Director, Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) Strategy, Policy and Operations Program; Senior Policy Researcher; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Even before the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots sent shockwaves across the globe, the decades-long proliferation of domestic extremism in America thrust the notion of liberal democracy into question. Emboldened, in the eyes of the Southern Poverty Law Center, by incendiary manifestos such as Pat Buchanan’s The Death of the West (2001), in which the former US presidential candidate cites an insidious “axis of evil”—declining birth rates, an atheistic Left, an unchecked “immigration invasion”—as catalysts for “the end of America as we know her,” many sympathetic parties saw—and continue to see—a nation under siege, requiring immediate, often violent (re)action from a band of self-anointed (and eminently sophisticated) “patriots.” This conversation offers an earnest take on extremist ideological movements today. To what do we owe this “cancer[ous]” social element? How is law enforcement responding to current and future threats? Who are the key allies for curtailing such fringe behavior? And what role (if any) should corporate America play in supporting law and order?

Moderator:
Gina Jurva, Manager, Enterprise Content – Corporates & Government, Market Insights & Thought Leadership, Thomson Reuters

Panelists:
Patricia F.S. Cogswell, Strategic Advisor, Guidehouse
Jim Dinkins, President, Thomson Reuters Special Services
Irene N. Kenyon, Director of Risk Intelligence, FiveBy Solutions, Inc.

According to industry data, cybercrimes are occurring with unprecedented vigor across all business sectors and regions. Indeed, whether at small, medium, or large organizations, cyber criminals are taking advantage of global disruption and rote digitization to transform vulnerable business assets into key liabilities capable of derailing modern commerce. Acutely aware of the growing cyber threat, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 authorized the United States Government—at the behest of a congressionally authorized, bipartisan panel—to create a dedicated federal agency for US cybersecurity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. This office, tasked with improving the nation’s cybersecurity posture, is a key advisor to the US President and broader homeland security community. Please join us as the Thomson Reuters Institute proudly welcomes the inaugural head of the Office of the National Cyber Director, Chris Inglis, for a fireside chat about evolving corporate liabilities and cyber risk in our contemporary business climate.

Moderator:
Daniel B. Garrie, Co-Founder, Law & Forensics LLC

Presenter:
Chris Inglis, National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the President of the United States

Despite its intrinsic value as an instrument for policy safety and community engagement, social media exists, in the words of Clint Watts, as a “virtual safe haven,” for extremist factions and enablers around the globe. Thanks to social media’s rote democratization, national security leaders are increasingly wary of how nation-state actors and fringe elements like ISIS are spreading dissident ideology through surreptitious, targeted campaigns. This conversation offers an earnest take on our modern-day social media ecosystem. How is homeland security addressing social media’s prodigious reach in an era when cries of privacy, discrimination, and first amendment rights violations grow ever stronger in the court of public opinion?

Moderator:
Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D., Director of Policy and Research, The Soufan Group

Panelists:
Nina Jankowicz, Global Fellow, The Wilson Center
Brian Murphy, Vice President of Strategic Operations, Logically.AI; Former Acting Under Secretary, US Department of Homeland Security
Faiza Patel, Director, Liberty & National Security, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law
Clint Watts, President, Miburo Solutions

With the inclusion of a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to examine the use of new financial technologies in terrorism financing, regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies is poised to take another step forward under newly appointed US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Of course, even before Secretary Yellen’s arrival, anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism programs (AML-CFT) were seen as a top priority for both IRS and law enforcement officials alike. Indeed, if recent developments such as the August 13, 2020 seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency from Al-Qaeda and ISIS are any indication, the dark world of crypto terror appears ever more pronounced and insidious. This closing conversation offers an important update on the elevated illicit finance threat environment. What regulatory actions are expected under a Biden administration? How comprehensive will a renewed multinational fight against terrorism financing be in today’s tenuous climate?

Moderator:
Kieran Beer, Chief Analyst & Director of Editorial Content, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS)

Panelists:
Jose Caldera, Chief Product Officer, Acuant
Chip Poncy, Global Co-Head, Financial Crimes Risk Management, K2 Integrity
Jim Robnett, Deputy Chief, IRS – Criminal Investigation
Ian Rooney, Head of Enterprise Compliance, Coinbase

Please join us for drinks as we wrap up the day’s proceedings.