I Am The Cavalry hosted a diverse group of cyber professionals from across the country at “Hackers on the Hill” last week. The event was held in the U.S. Capitol and aimed to bridge the gap between hackers, industry experts, and the public policy community.
The cyber professionals heard from some of the most influential tech policy advisors in Washington, who explained the policy process and gave attendees an insider’s perspective of how cyber issues were currently viewed by members of Congress from both political parties.
After the event-wide briefing was over, attendees were led by members of I Am The Cavalry and other cyber experts to meet with staffers in individual Seate and House offices. Participants met with legislative staff of five House members, four Senators and four committees participated, including Vice-Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Mark Warner (D-VA) and top staffers from the House Homeland Security Committee. Hill staffers discussed specific cyber legislation in the works, cyber and internet policy debates, and programs for cyber wonks interested in pursuing a career in legislative affairs. Attendees answered questions about the current cybersecurity threat landscape and even had a chance to pitch legislative ideas to some staffers.
For many cyber experts who attended Hackers on the Hill, it was their first trip to Washington. This ongoing event provided them an excellent perspective of the often complex political process behind cybersecurity and gave Hill staffers a new resource to help them navigate the often complicated cybersecurity landscape.
