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From the hundreds of panels and talks to the often whimsical exhibitions, AI and it is potential impact on the cybersecurity industry is the chosen theme of this year’s RSA conference in San Francisco.
Tens of thousands of data security professionals, business moguls, educators, government leaders, privacy advocates and more descended on the city’s Moscone Center to check out the latest technologies and trends in cybersecurity. About 650 people are expected to speak during more than 400 panels, talks and other sessions before it ends Thursday afternoon.
Here’s a look at what’s happening right now:
Safe and secure deployment of AI is key for critical infrastructure, Mayorkas says
May 7, 2024 at 8:30 am
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says his agency is focused on working with the tech industry to ensure AI is implemented in ways that protect the rights and safety of Americans, as well as preserve the critical infrastructure that runs the country.
Speaking during an RSA morning keynote and later at a roundtable discussion with journalists, Mayorkas said he was optimistic about what could be achieved by the newly formed AI Safety Council.
The group, which is chaired by Mallorcas and met for the first time on Monday, will advise the federal government on how best to protect the country’s most critical services from AI-related attacks.
It brings together government and technology companies at the forefront of AI development such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, along with executives from critical infrastructure companies such as Delta Airlines and Northrop Grumman and civil and privacy leaders.
The group’s goals are to ultimately establish guidelines for the safe and secure implementation of AI and create a national plan, he said.
As part of the effort, the federal government is recruiting an army of technical experts and other people with AI-related skills to work for the federal government. While Mallorcas admits it can’t compete with big tech when it comes to paychecks, thousands of people have already applied.
“The voice that one has in public service is a voice that is representative and is representative of millions upon millions of people,” Mayorkas said, noting that the decisions public officials make also affect millions of people.
“It’s a great responsibility and a great opportunity.”
Technology and security must play a leading role in diplomacy, says Blinken
May 6, 2024 at 3:55 PM PT
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke at the RSA conference on Monday in San Francisco.
As the divide between the digital and physical worlds continues to disappear, the role of technology and its security is becoming an increasingly critical part of global diplomacy, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.
“Security, stability and prosperity are no longer just analog questions,” Blinken said during his keynote at the RSA conference, adding that the choices security professionals make today “will reverberate for generations.”
In a wide-ranging address, Blinken spoke of the need for the U.S. to be a leader in everything from semiconductor manufacturing and the training of a high-tech workforce to setting rules for the development of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and quantum computing.
He noted that if a potentially dangerous technology such as genomic surveillance is dominated by America’s rivals, its misuse could become commonplace, causing irreversible damage.
Blinken also said that the promotion and protection of democracy around the world will continue to depend on the participation of American technology companies, especially those in the security industry. He pointed to the help given to Ukraine by many American companies to strengthen their networks and strengthen their communications before and after Russia’s invasion of the country.
WarGames legacy
May 6, 2024 at 3:00 PM PT
Monday afternoon’s keynotes began with a surprise appearance by actor Matthew Broderick, who most notably played a teenage hacker in the 80s cult classic WarGames.
Broderick said the film’s plot, in which his character accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer while looking for new video games might seem laughable to today’s security experts, but it prompted then-President Ronald Reagan to convene members of his cabinet, Congress, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss whether such a thing could actually happen .
What Reagan discovered was that the problem was much worse than that, Broderick said. And ultimately, Reagan’s interest in the film is credited with helping pass the first presidential directive on computer security.
We’ll update this story with more coverage from RSA throughout the week.
Editor’s note: CNET used an AI engine to help create several dozen stories that were labeled accordingly. The note you’re reading is attached to articles that deal essentially with the topic of AI, but were created entirely by our expert editors and writers. For more see our AI Policy.
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