Asheem Chandna | The Long Game in Cybersecurity | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Cybersecurity experts discuss the central and complex nature of cybersecurity in the face of evolving technology, nation-state cyber threats, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the need for automation.

Key Insights

• ❓ Cybersecurity is constantly evolving alongside technology advancements and cyber threats.
• 👊 Nation-state cyber warfare poses significant risks, and new strategies for managing escalation and cyber attacks need to be developed.
• 👊 Supply chain attacks are a major threat, and companies require more clarity on government support in the event of an attack.
• 🔨 Automation is crucial in managing the complexity of cybersecurity, but it should be focused on creating autonomous products rather than adding more features to human tools.
• 👨‍💻 Emerging areas of concern include cryptocurrency scalability, blockchain privacy, adversarial machine learning, and securing code depositories.
• ❓ The cybersecurity industry must shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one.
• 💗 The demand for cybersecurity solutions continues to grow, with a surge of entrepreneurs and capital investment in the industry.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How does national security play a role in cybersecurity?

National security is closely intertwined with cybersecurity, and the US government needs to expand its resources to counter cyber warfare and protect critical infrastructure from nation-state cyber threats.

Q: How can businesses address the threat of supply chain attacks?

The biggest threat to most companies is a cyber attack through the software supply chain. Companies need more clarity on when they can expect government resources to help them recover from an attack.

Q: What is the role of automation in cybersecurity?

Automation of security is crucial in a world where companies struggle to keep up with the volume of information generated by cloud and machine learning technology. Rather than adding more automated features to human tools, a shift towards autonomous products should be prioritized.

Q: What are the emerging areas of concern in cybersecurity?

Cryptocurrency scalability, blockchain privacy, adversarial machine learning, securing code depositories, and protecting package management systems are some of the emerging areas of concern in cybersecurity.

Summary

In this episode of the Gray Matter podcast, Greylock General Partner Ashim Chadna discusses the long game in cyber security. He speaks with four cybersecurity experts who provide insights into the current state of cyber threats and the need for innovative strategies to address them.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Richard A. Clark, a national security leader, view the cyber threats faced by the U.S. government?

Richard A. Clark believes that while the U.S. government is well organized for cyber defense, it falls short in providing adequate funding. He suggests that most informal criminal hacking organizations around the world could be shut down with the combined efforts of the NSA, CIA, FBI, and Cyber Command. However, he emphasizes the need for expanded resources and strategies to counter cyber warfare between nations.

Q: What is the biggest threat to most companies, according to Richard A. Clark?

Richard A. Clark states that the biggest threat to most companies is a cyber attack that comes through the software supply chain. He mentions the SolarWinds attack as an example and explains that companies receive a large number of software updates every month, leaving them vulnerable. Clark argues that companies need clarity on whether or when the U.S. government would deploy resources to help them recover from an attack.

Q: Why does Nir Zuk, the founder and CTO of Palo Alto Networks, believe that customers have no credible way of knowing whether the cybersecurity products they purchase actually work?

Nir Zuk asserts that failures in cybersecurity are often only discovered after an attack has breached the security. He highlights the complexity of cybersecurity systems and the difficulty for customers to keep up with the volume of information generated by cloud and machine learning technology. Zuk advocates for the automation of security and proposes a shift in mindset towards autonomous products supported by human tools.

Q: What are the two main threats that concern Nir Zuk?

According to Nir Zuk, the first major threat is ransomware, which continues to spread with impunity. There is no foolproof system against an attacker who only needs to penetrate the system once. The best strategy, Zuk suggests, is to focus on detecting a breach once it has occurred, as attackers must hide 100% of the time. The second major threat is supply chain attacks, where hackers target vendors in the supply chain rather than the enterprise directly.

Q: In Phil Venables' view, how do many companies approach cybersecurity in the wrong way?

Phil Venables believes that many companies rush to invest in cybersecurity software without modernizing their underlying technologies. He compares this approach to building a fortress on sand. Venables argues that the cloud should be seen as a "digital immune system" that continually updates, adapts, and responds to shifting threats. He emphasizes the need for business leaders to understand the digital underpinnings of products and processes and to prioritize secure products.

Q: What are the research interests of Dan Boneh, a leading professor in applied cryptography?

Dan Boneh and his students focus on several research areas related to cybersecurity. One area of interest is the scalability of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are currently limited in conducting about 15 transactions per second. They investigate how to overcome this limitation without compromising the system's integrity. Another focus is the privacy challenge posed by blockchain, particularly when companies want to use it for payment purposes. Boneh also highlights the growing vulnerability of machine learning models to attacks and explores ways to secure code repositories and package management systems.

Q: What does Dan Boneh believe is the fundamental problem in the security industry?

Dan Boneh argues that the security industry is reactive and tends to focus on last year's problems. He emphasizes the importance of proactive research and the need to address new vulnerabilities and threats. Boneh's research and the work of his students provide a valuable counterweight to this tendency.

Takeaways

Cybersecurity has become more central and complex than ever before. The experts interviewed in this podcast highlight the need for new strategies and resources to address cyber threats effectively. They emphasize that cybersecurity should be approached as a long game, and businesses must prioritize secure products, modernize their underlying technologies, and embrace automation. Supply chain attacks, ransomware, scalability and privacy issues in blockchain, and vulnerabilities in machine learning models are some of the key areas that require attention in the cybersecurity landscape. As venture capital investment in cybersecurity continues to surge, it is evident that the demand for innovative cybersecurity solutions remains high due to the interconnected nature of today's digital world.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cybersecurity is more central and complex than ever before, with evolving technology and cyber threats.

• Nation-state cyber warfare and the potential for damaging retaliatory strikes highlight the need for new strategies in managing cyber attacks.

• Supply chain attacks pose a significant threat, and companies need more clarity on when they can expect government resources to help recover from an attack.