Welcome to a special pre-event coverage episode of the RSA Conference 2024, where we delve into the fascinating connection between politics and cybersecurity. Join Marco Ciappelli and Madison Horn as they discuss the intricate relationship between these two vital spheres.
Guest: Madison Horn, Congressional Candidate OK-05, Founder & CEO at RoseRock
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisonshorn/
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Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin
Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Episode Notes
Exploring Society, Technology, and the Intersection of Politics and Cybersecurity
In this insightful podcast episode, Marco Ciappelli takes the lead as he discusses the upcoming RSA Conference and the unique perspectives on society and technology that will be highlighted. He introduces Madison Horn, a congressional nominee with a background in cybersecurity, who will be a present at the conference. Together, they embark on a discussion exploring the crucial link between politicians and cybersecurity, shedding light on pressing issues in our modern digital landscape.
A Deep Dive into Cybersecurity and Political Engagement
Madison Horn shares her journey into politics, emphasizing the critical importance of having leaders with a strong understanding of technology in office. She highlights the essential role of cybersecurity in national security and economic stability, advocating for a forward-thinking approach to legislation and regulation in the cybersecurity space.
The Impact of Technology on the Workforce and Economic Opportunities
The conversation extends to the transformative power of technology in creating economic opportunities and reshaping the workforce. Madison emphasizes the need for states to adapt to the evolving tech landscape, leveraging innovation to drive economic growth and job creation.
Looking Ahead to RSA Conference 2024
As the discussion turns towards the upcoming RSA Conference, Madison reflects on the significance of staying informed and engaged in the cybersecurity community. The duo explores the importance of attending industry events like RSA to network, learn, and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity policy and practice.
Seeking Solutions and Collaboration in Critical Infrastructure
Madison emphasizes the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to address critical infrastructure challenges and mitigate cybersecurity risks. She advocates for modernizing infrastructure to defend against threats and ensure economic and national security.
Bridging the Gap Between Politics and Cybersecurity
In a passionate declaration, Madison underscores the urgency of transcending party divides to focus on effective governance and problem-solving. She calls for a renewed commitment to leadership that prioritizes the well-being and security of citizens above partisan interests.
Conclusion
As this pre-event coverage episode wraps up, the conversation between Marco Ciappelli and Madison Horn serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the interconnected worlds of politics and cybersecurity. Stay tuned for more insights and updates from the RSA Conference 2024 on cybersecurity, technology, and the future of digital governance.
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Resources
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Exploring the Intersections of Politics and Cybersecurity with Congressional Nominee, Madison Horn | An RSA Conference 2024 Conversation | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli
Please note that this transcript was created using AI technology and may contain inaccuracies or deviations from the original audio file. The transcript is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the original recording, as errors may exist. At this time, we provide it “as it is,” and we hope it can be helpful for our audience.
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[00:00:00] Marco Ciappelli: Well, hello, everybody. This is Marco Ciappelli. I am flying solo today for the pre event coverage of RSA conference. We usually do it with Sean Martin and myself, but we are doing so many, many amazing podcast episode, even before getting to RSA conference that we're giving a break to each other. So he take care of some, I take care of some others.
And, uh, this one, I decided to. to take this because it's very much related to society and technology. And for those of you that have been following me, my background is political science. So we're actually talking about the connection today between, uh, I don't know, let's say politicians and cyber security, um, and, and other things going around that.
And to do, uh, Uh, these, of course, I'm not alone. I'm actually have Madison Horn, is a congressional nominee, and she's going to be at RSA conference as well. Her background is in cyber security, and she's running for Congress. So we're going to talk about a lot of fun stuff, and, uh, I want to welcome you to the show, Madison.
[00:01:13] Madison Horn: Yeah, well, thank you so much. Sorry, you're flying solo, but agree only fun topics today. This is all for me. Thank you for having me. No one else. Sorry, audience.
[00:01:24] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, it's with you. It's with you. So, um, yeah, introduce yourself, please, for our audience, and then we'll dive into some fun conversation.
[00:01:34] Madison Horn: Sure. So I appreciate just the time and the space here.
As you mentioned, I'm running for Congress. I'm actually running for Congress in the great state of Oklahoma, which might be a bit of a plot twist for some, but I've spent the past 15 years working in cyber security across the United States from red teaming to incident response to leading a team at Siemens Energy.
Always focused within the critical infrastructure space. That's kind of, I would say the industry that pulls at my heartstrings more than any other. Um, and so I've been in the political realm for the past two and a half years. I initially ran for the United States Senate in preparation for this race, uh, and excited to, uh, be at RSA and to continue to absorb and learn from the community.
[00:02:24] Marco Ciappelli: Well, that's great. Um, I have to say that it was now, it's now five years ago, maybe, that I was at DEFCON in Las Vegas, what they call Summer Hacker Camp, and there was an entire Take care. A group of, uh, politicians coming, walking through in a place where usually you don't see legislators or politicians.
Um, and, uh, and that was the day that we really realized that this connection needs to be done. Now, I don't know how far we've gone since that day. I know, I know there is CISA. There is a lot of things that are involving the government, but I might say I want to hear. Your perspective, because I know you're actually running with cybersecurity flag in your, in your hand.
What made you decide to do that?
[00:03:17] Madison Horn: Yeah, I mean, it's a great question. And, um, I love Black Hat. I wish I was actually taking this in my campaign office, but it was a mess. And we had a lot of volunteers there today. Um, but I have all of my DEF CON badges and a couple of. Uh, challenge choice just from all the different ICS villages and the policy hacking village, which was the first that came to, uh, DEF CON last year.
So I love seeing the intersection of both policy. Um, and you know, obviously CIS has done an amazing job. Um, but that wasn't your question. Why did I make the decision to run for office? To be frank, incredibly frustrated. Incredibly frustrated at the fact that, you know, there are individuals that are leading major policy changes that really are kind of clueless.
It's about the basic way that technology works, whether that be data analytics or data correlations or, you know, how platforms make money, you know, I think, you know, a famous line from Congress at this point was, you know, when, when they were asking Mark Zuckerberg, like, how do you make money? And he was like, ads, digital, digital ads.
Um, and so it's just beyond. And so when we start talking about real problems and challenges, whether that be online data, privacy, protecting kids from mental health challenges, or we talk about the impeding threat from China to our critical infrastructure. You know, there's, there's really just an entirely lack of understanding of the potential impact risk.
And what does that mean? Um, how do we need to move forward? How do we need to collaborate, um, with the public and private sector? And I, right now I just see a lot of demonizing of the public sector or the private sector. And, um, you know, it's just not the way forward for us as a country. And so, you know, as we started seeing.
Not to get political, like as far as like parties go, but as we started seeing this wave of the lack of true leaders, I think being in office. And what I mean by that is people who really understand the purpose of leadership and to me, that is service and putting people back at the center. Um, then it was just a call to action for me.
I'm from a super small town, grew up really poor. And so, um, it, it just taught me. So many things in the way that I want to present myself as a leader.
[00:05:43] Marco Ciappelli: That's really cool. And, uh, and I guess, uh, a passion for technology. I'm assuming that kind of drive you to, to do this, uh, career and then realizing that something needs to be done.
And I have to say, I mean, It's very hard to connect the dots sometimes between how fast technology is going. You know, generative AI a year and a half ago, we probably wouldn't even talk about it. And, uh, and how we are lacking, I think, a plan in Congress and legislative level in general. I mean, I follow Europe in From Europe originally myself, uh, the AI act, GDPR, everything seems to be coming from, from there first.
And then eventually we got the California Privacy Act and other things. So, but it seems like it's always an afterthought. So is that your vision to make it at the core of? Initiatives, um, way more than what it is now.
[00:06:47] Madison Horn: I mean, absolutely. And, you know, you talk about, you know, different legislation starting in Europe and, and I think it's because we're just very much free thinkers, you know, Americans are, are known to be very independent.
We don't want government intervention. And so I think that that keeps us from actually taking action in ways that, um, you know, the market needs to be tamed in some ways. I, someone's going to hate that line. Uh, but, but what I mean by is, you know, you talk about emerging technology and it seems that we're always behind and it's because there is a general lack of awareness of the current state of where technology is today and what it's capable of doing, you know, when, you know, CHAT GPT came out, then everyone's like, oh my God, AI, AI.
And then I would say folks in the sector are just in the tech field in general have always said, well, we've had AI for a while, you know, it's just data analytics and data correlations. And now it's publicly available for consumption. And so it's, it's just a, you know, entirely different ballgame. And so, you know, when you ask about my, my grand plan, you know, I haven't laid out every single piece of policy.
I mean, I think it's, it's going to be. Done based on priority to me, when I think about, you know, the intersection of policy and tech policy, and it initially goes to national security. It goes to economic security, especially in my state that I live in. That's one of the poorest states in the country. And we have bills being passed today where, you know, we're no longer going to fund programs that allow for individuals to have low cost internet.
And, you know, what is this, you know, to the 1900s, um, you know, there was a study done that if 10 percent more of the individuals living in my state, the economic impact of that would be 19 billion. It would create something like 275, 000 jobs. And so what are we doing across the country to ensure just basic things like internet?
And I think that that's, those things are pushed aside because it's not electricity, it's not food, it's not water. And so it's seen to be a privilege to have basic things like internet. And so if we can't solve these little things, then how can we have conversations around Legacy technology in the critical infrastructure space and how susceptible that is to China, or maybe why we shouldn't have, uh, you know, devices made from foreign countries put into our critical infrastructure.
We can't have these bigger conversations. Um, and so I think that's why we have to have individuals in In leadership roles that actually under understand the fundamentals.
[00:09:31] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, I agree with you. So one of the thing that I often bring to the conversation is the fact of how every company now is a technology company.
I mean, even you want it or not, and you mentioned the need for something like that. And especially in creating new jobs. So let's talk a little bit about that. Like technology being so pervasive that you just simply can't ignore it.
[00:09:56] Madison Horn: Yeah, well, it's not just that, but what the tech industry does is really creates economic opportunity and stability.
You know, forgive me, I'm always going to go back to Oklahoma. It's not because I'm trying to Put a plug here, but it's just a really, really good example. You know, we are heavily oil and gas. 25 percent of our industry in Oklahoma is the oil and gas market. And, you know, obviously the, the, the edges of that technology or the service companies and the vendors, but they're, uh, you know, the, the idea is that we're going to capture more of the manufacturing market, which I think is a great idea, but how many jobs is that actually going to create when we have AI and we also have automation coming in and so what we're talking about You know, maybe a thousand jobs.
And so I think when you look at states like Oklahoma and what the tech industry can do, what remote work opportunities can do, um, then I think it's critical for us to think differently and that's all the way from workforce development opportunities, how you can leverage, um, vocational programs. Um, I mean, it's an, it's a number of things of what the tech industry can do for a state economy.
[00:11:05] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, um, let's talk a little bit about next week because this one is going to be published definitely before the beginning of RSA conference So maybe people are gonna look at this right now and we are actually at RSA conference So how important and and why did you decide I I don't think you're speaking there this year or anything like that But you you decided i'm gonna be at RSA conference, which for people who are not familiar You It is the biggest, if not one of the biggest, conference for cyber security in the world.
So, what are you expecting?
[00:11:39] Madison Horn: Sure. Yeah. Well, the first question of the why versus what am I expecting? So the why, I mean, you've, we've already recognized here, right? Technology moves so quickly and I haven't been a hands on practitioner. I haven't worked in the cybersecurity space. I was a CEO of a cybersecurity company here in Oklahoma for the year in between my campaigns.
But realistically, I've, I've been out of the space. And so, you know, opportunities. Like RSA to me, keep me fresh. You know, I'm interacting with individuals who are, you know, either developing or investing in cutting edge technologies, they're looking for opportunity to place new jobs. They're looking for ripe markets.
And so I think it's an opportunity for me to not just talk about like my candidacy and wanting what I'm wanting to do and advocate for, but also. The cybersecurity community, but it also keeps me informed and up to date. So then I don't become the individuals who's like, how do I work my email? Can I PDF this?
You know, and so it's critical for me. And I also, you know, I want the support of my industry. You know, the day that I do get elected, you know, it's. I'm not going to be, it's going to be tough in the current climate, then red or blue, it doesn't matter. Either party can't get anything done. But because of the fact that I will be the only person with a cyber security background, to me, it'll actually allow me to pull a lot of walls down and just offer, you know, an area of expertise.
Whether that be again, Whether that be a national security and foreign policy conversations, or that be on the topic of critical infrastructure or workforce dev or education, then I can purely just be a subject matter expert and hopefully, hopefully just find solutions for some of the major problems. So that's why I'm attending.
That's why I think it's so valuable. Um, and hopefully just to ensure that people know that they have an ally.
[00:13:46] Marco Ciappelli: And, uh, are you going to some keynotes? Did you have an action plan there? Sure. Maybe some panels that you want to be present. I mean, we had a lot of conversation and every, every single aspect you're touching, it's, it's happening there. Right? So there is going to be something about politics, something about privacy and ethics, of course, a lot about practitioners that, you know, they, they know way more than what, what I know.
But what I care is what you care. It's like. How is this going to affect me as a citizen, me as a person, me as a career, me as a You know, everything. Yeah.
[00:14:27] Madison Horn: Well, I'm, I'm getting so many questions around the way that I believe that AI is going to impact the workforce and job elimination, job creation. And I have some initial thoughts, but I really would love to like have these conversations with individuals who are way smarter than me.
And just, you know, to hear what they have to say, to learn from historic moments in history when we have seen the evolution of technology. Um, you know, the way that we're seeing it adopted, you know, I think AI is going to be the first, one of the first technologies that we are pushing. I don't want to say we, um, but that we're seeing major legislation being attempted to regulate this space.
Now we can agree and disagree, but I, I really want to know what folks in this space see as. Good, bad, and ugly of potential regulation. What that would look like if we go down that path. Um, you know, my week is a bit chaotic. Um, you know, the, the four days that I'm there, I'm going to events that are focused in the national security space.
Um, going to a couple of like, obviously private sectors into things that are just, you know, CISOs, Across industry, whether that be banking or media or, um, you know, obviously telecom space and just, again, want to kind of learn some pain points. You know, I, I know that there was a lot of frustration post COVID.
Uh, some of the SolarWinds decisions and, you know, what the new CSO role may look like, the liability there. Um, so just, just staying curious, staying hungry, obviously catching up with some amazing friends and, um, you know, community leaders.
[00:16:10] Marco Ciappelli: There is something that I love what you say is like be surrounded by smart people.
Like I, I always feel that if it never happened, but if I ever feel like the smartest guy in the room, I'm probably in the wrong room.
[00:16:22] Madison Horn: And how boring. No offense to you. I'm sure, I'm sure you can have a great time.
[00:16:29] Marco Ciappelli: You want to learn. And that's, that's one of the thing. I mean, when I sit down with someone Either doing a podcast from from my office or there in Broadcast Alley.
That's the thing. I, I learn. Everything I know is from conversation with smart people and, and I'm definitely learning something from you as well. Um, you said at the beginning that you've been focusing in your career on the infrastructure. And I think that definitely one of the hot topic in cyber security nowadays.
So, um, a little bit of a vision there. I mean, I have conversations sometimes that come out to the fact that we have maybe in this country, uh, secretive. Uh, infrastructure that could be a little bit newer, maybe thought from a little bit more of a supervision from from the top. And again, you know, politics, which brings me not only to talk about that, but also the vision of do we really need to make decision based on a party?
Or do we, can we make decision based on what really matters for the citizen? So go for it.
[00:17:37] Madison Horn: Yeah. Your last question, just like it got me fired up. So I'm going to,
[00:17:41] Marco Ciappelli: I planned
[00:17:43] Madison Horn: it. Um, so we're going to put that aside for 30 seconds. Um, my comms team is always like Madison. You answer every single question.
I'm like, isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Um, so talking about vision for the critical infrastructure space, um, you know, this is an industry that has understood the potential risk from our foreign adversaries for a very, very long time. You know, I've been in this space for 15 years. Again, you know, I was an executive at Siemens Energy and I chose to work in this space because I truly felt That I was serving something that was much better than or much bigger than me and also representing an industry that is highly misunderstood.
You know, when you talk about the electric industry, you know, the utilities industry, there's nothing sexy about it. But, you know, can you imagine if an entire city doesn't have running water or electricity? It's going to create chaos. Your banking system is not going to work. You know, you're going to have hospitals that aren't going to work.
And so when you talk about the impeding threat across the sector, then I think that we have to, you know, us as practitioners within the cybersecurity space, have to understand that we're trying to solve a problem and not just sell a product. And so I really want to be a part of the industry conversations and how we're building regulation.
I love the CISA Cyber Trustmark. And where that is actually saying that these devices pass a certain set of standards that they can be appropriately managed. They can be, I'm getting in the weeds here, but my point being is there are ways. for collaboration between the public and private sector to solve really small problems that can have really huge impact.
And there's going to have to be an investment in my mind from the U. S. government to modernize our critical infrastructure rapidly, especially as we're steering, staring down the barrel of a potential war with China. And Obviously already threats from Russia, as we saw two weeks ago, um, a hacktivist group or a hacking group, um, state that they did execute the attack against a U S water system.
And so what does that look like? What does retaliation look like? You know, how do you hold them accountable? None of that is defined right now. And so I want to be a part of this new generation of leadership that is going to be able to operate and hold adversaries accountable. And that may sound very fear mongering, but, um, it's the wild, wild west.
It is absolutely the wild, wild west. Um, and throughout this entire conversation, pulling on your, your intentional plug, um, to, to make me fired up. I would say majority of Americans don't. Can I curse on this podcast? They don't give a damn about party. And no one ever is like, Hey, Hey, Hey, there's a really big problem here.
Wait one second. Are you a Democrat or Republican? Right. When, when have you ever heard that in a, in a conversation with your neighbors, your friends, a boardroom? It's never, it's, you know, do I have the resources that I need? People, money. Tools, right? Those are the three things you're looking for. It's never party.
And we've gotten to a point in the political climate where It only matters the party that you're serving. And I think that that's disgusting. I think that it is now the rot within the American political system is that we've lost any type of courage in our elected officials to take a stand on anything.
And I think that it is long term it's incredibly detrimental to. The economic security of America, the ability for us to continue to stay a world power, you name it.
[00:21:37] Marco Ciappelli: Well, you know, I think that the industry, the cyber security industry in general, it's, um, is used to deal with people that don't give a damn.
Because Yeah, I'm supporting you with that. Because until it happens to you, it's very human. You don't worry about it. Why two factor authentication? Why this? Why that? And then one day, it gets really close. And they're like, yep. Okay, now I know what they were talking about. So to go to this kind of event, I feel like we always look a little bit into the future.
And just to make a plug for my friends at RSA Conference Organizer, the theme this year is the Art of Possible, which is very, very inspiring theme. And I think that it will be really good. For you to go out there. I hope you find the conversation that you're looking for and uh, hopefully Um, I will see you around.
Maybe we'll just wave because I'm gonna be running and you're gonna be running but Uh, I am very very happy that you found the time. I know you're busy to stop by the show and uh, It was a very very exciting conversation. I think I'll make people think which ultimately is what I like
[00:22:57] Madison Horn: I hope so. I know it was all very Was it is all surface level in a quick conversation, but I hope that it provides some value and just kind of some thought processes on, you know, again, I think the need for us to have individuals within our space help translating.
Right? You know, the biggest, I think, problem within our industry is being able to translate what we're trying to accomplish and the why. And so, um, you know, I, I hope it just provides a lot of thought and opportunity for people to reach out and have bigger conversations.
[00:23:32] Marco Ciappelli: Absolutely. And there will be notes in the conversation, notes in the podcast, notes in YouTube if you're watching on YouTube to get in touch with you to go on your website and, uh, ask you more questions if they, they want to.
Uh, for everybody else listening, stay tuned. If you can make it to RSA conference, great. I know not everybody's gonna be able to go there, so follow us. With our coverage and we'll try to share the journey with all of you. Uh, thank you again, Madison. It's been an honor. Thank you.
[00:24:02] Madison Horn: Yeah, thank you. Thanks for having me.