By Shilo Rea / 412-268-6094
The ever-increasing reliance on information technology systems and networked operations has saturated almost every aspect of our daily lives. This dependence, which does have many advantages, also creates dangerous vulnerabilities.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) defines cybersecurity as a key issue because “pervasive and sustained cyber attacks against the United States could have a potentially devastating impact on federal and nonfederal systems, disrupting the operations of governments and businesses and the lives of private individuals.”
Admiral Mike Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency (NSA), will visit Carnegie Mellon University to discuss cybersecurity at 4:45 p.m., Friday, May 1 in Porter Hall 100.
“CMU has unique multidisciplinary strengths in cybersecurity. Hearing from Admiral Rogers should shed light on how the scholarly community may contribute to enhancing national capacity in the vital area of cybersecurity,” said Kiron Skinner, director of CMU’s Center for International Relations and Politics and Institute for Strategic Analysis, which are sponsoring the lecture.
Rogers was appointed to his current roles in April 2014. Since becoming a flag officer in 2007, Rogers also has served as the director for Intelligence for both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Pacific Command, and most recently as Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet.
In a recent interview by CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Scuitto that aired on C-SPAN, Rogers admitted that the Edward Snowden leaks cost the U.S. some capabilities and defended metadata collection for telephone calls.
“I think that, number one, the metadata collection generates value for the nation,” Rogers said. “Is it a silver bullet — that in it of itself guarantees there will never be another 9/11 or there won’t be another successful terrorist attack? No. It is one component of a broader strategy designed to help enhance our security.”
Rogers went on to explain how metadata collection needs to be done in ways that follow U.S. laws and generate confidence among Americans.
Admiral Rogers’ talk is free and open to the public; however, registration is required. Please email cirp@andrew.cmu.edu to reserve your seat.
For more information, visit http://www.cmu.edu/ir/cirp-policy-forum/spring-2015/may-1-michael-s-rogers.html.