Emerging Challenges in Cybersecurity: A Conversation with Former NATO Assistant Secretary General Sorin Ducaru

A wave of high-profile cyberattacks swept the world in 2017 targeting an array of important sectors. Ransomware crippled land and sea transportation and affected hospitals and ATMs. The breach of credit-reporting giant Equifax exposed the information of more than 140 million people, while the U.S. electric grid was successfully infiltrated by likely Russian state actors. As 2018 approaches, what steps should be taken to mitigate attacks in the coming year? What type of cyberattacks will likely be attempted? Who can we expect to be the perpetrators?

On Friday, December 8, Hudson welcomed new Senior Fellow Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges (ASG ESC), for a discussion on the coming challenges and trends in cybersecurity with Hudson Senior Fellow Arthur Herman. Before joining Hudson, Ambassador Ducaru assumed his position as NATO ASG ESC in 2013, where his direct responsibilities included oversight in the areas of cyber defense, counter-terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation, and more. He managed the implementation of the NATO Enhanced Cyber Policy, which recognized cyber as an operational domain and linked to NATO’s task of collective defense. Ambassador Ducaru also developed NATO’s cyber partnership network which includes organizations such as the European Union and United Nations. Prior to his work at NATO, Ambassador Ducaru served in the United Nations as Ambassador of Romania before serving as the Romanian Ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2006.