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How Hackers Can Work with Govt to Protect High-Risk Communities

Explores scalable models for governments, civil society, and hackers to collaborate in defending high-risk communities and under-resourced civic organizations.

Summary

The Vulnerability of High-Risk Civil Society Groups

Non-profit organizations, marginalized communities, and human rights defenders face persistent cyber threats while suffering from an acute global shortage of technical cybersecurity talent.

Overcoming the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

With hundreds of thousands of unfilled infosec positions, traditional market mechanisms fail to allocate necessary defensive resources to at-risk community groups.

Scaling Community Defense Collaborations

Panelists examine collaborative models where government initiatives, corporate volunteer programs, and hacker collectives partner to provide pro-bono security assistance.

Policy Solutions for Sustainable Cyber Resiliency

The session generates concrete policy recommendations for subsidizing security tooling, establishing regional defense clinics, and creating legal protections for volunteer responders.

Related talks

Main Stage·30 min

  • DEF CON
  • OSINT
  • Date: Aug 2023
  • Location: Las Vegas

Tiffany Rad · Austin Shamlin

Tiffany Rad and Austin Shamlin highlight pro-bono civil cyber defense, using OSINT and student clinics to protect human rights organizations and combat human trafficking.

civil-defensehuman-rightsosint+2