Panel: Security and Privacy in an Expanding Cyber World
Dr. Frank L. Greitzer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Co-Chair)
Dr. Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, University of Washington (UW) Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (Co-Chair)
The unintended consequence of our blind embrace of the Internet threatens to undermine society's trust in this new technology and the transformations it has brought. Trust is the glue that holds society together. Every day we engage in thousands of acts of trust: we trust that the wall switch will turn on the lights; we trust that the car will run when we insert the key; we trust that other drivers will stay on their side of the road, we trust that the office will open at 8:30AM and that others will show up to go to work, and so on. In a technologically complex society, our trust extends to many computer black boxes that we count on. We expect these black boxes to work, to be safe to use, to deliver the services we need. What happens if these expectations are undermined and our trust violated? What happens when private information becomes compromised... and how can we fortify our information systems to prevent such abuse?
In addressing and finding solutions to the problems and challenges of "digital trust" we come head on with sometimes opposing interests in safeguarding security of information systems versus collecting information on the activities of trusted insiders with access to passwords who could cause grave harm to organizations or individuals by either purposely or unknowingly undermining or abusing the security of information systems. This is a critical concern in all areas of our society, from government to private industry – and it is especially critical in the burgeoning area of medical technology and telemedicine, where a great potential for remote/asynchronous medical treatment that is counterbalanced by risks to patient privacy and doctor/patient privileged information.
The panel will discuss these issues, with particular contributions from unique perspectives in government, industry, education and law.
Panelists:
- Dr. Deborah A. Frincke, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- John R. Christiansen, Christiansen IT Law
- Dr. Robert M. Mason, UW iSchool
- David Aucsmith, Microsoft