“America 3.0” – with Bill Britton of the California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI)

Summary

Bill Britton (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) in a discussion about cybersecurity and cyber awareness. Bill is the Director of the California Cybersecurity Institute and CIO at Cal Poly.  

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

• How to better protect your online information
• Why cybersecurity is more important now than ever
• How Cal Poly is addressing cybersecurity challenges
• The state of cyber in California and America

Reflections

• Confronting our learned habits 
• Lifelong learning

And much, much more …

Episode Notes

This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined in the studio by Bill Britton, Vice President of Information Technology, Chief Information Officer at Cal Poly, and the Director of the California Cybersecurity Institute. Bill joins us to discuss the work Cal Poly is doing to train, accelerate, and empower the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

 Cal Poly has produced some of the leading people in the cybersecurity industry, including none other than one of Andrew and Erin’s favorite interviewees, Eric Escobar. Tune in for an engaging and educational trip to the central coast of sunny California! Glass of chardonnay not included. 

And… 

In 2011, Oprah Winfrey declared San Luis Obispo “America’s Happiest City,” and it’s no wonder why – the quiet city is nestled within a beautiful landscape surrounded by historic architecture, interesting landmarks, and over 250 vineyards. Erin and Andrew are rethinking their East coast lifestyles…  

Quotes of the Week

“We're trying to establish a way that people think differently about what cyber really is and does for them, and how it can be an expediter of their abilities to have a job and do great things for not just themselves, but the nation at large.” – Bill Britton

Resources 

SURFACE SKIM

*SpyCasts*

• Indian Intelligence & Cyber with Sameer Patil of ORF Mumbai (2023) 
• Espionage and the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl (2023)
• Trafficking Data: The Digital Struggle with Aynne Kokas (2022) 
• Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization with Eric Escobar, Part 1 (2022) 
• Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization with Eric Escobar, Part 2 (2022) 

*Beginner Resources*

• CyberWire Word Notes, CyberWire (2023) [Audio glossary]
• What is Cybersecurity?, CISA (2021) [Short article]
• Cybersecurity in 7 minutes, Simplilearn (2020) [7 min video] 

DEEPER DIVE

Books

• The Cyberweapons Arms Race, N. Perloth (Bloomsbury, 2021) 
• Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World, J. Menn (Public Affairs, 2019)
• The Art of Invisibility, K. Mitnick (Little, Brown, and Company, 2017)
• Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, K. Mitnick & W. L. Simon (Little, Brown, and Company, 2011)

Articles

• The State of U.S. Technology Talent: A Whole-of-Nation Approach to Bolstering the Tech Talent Pool, H. Kelley, Markle (2023)
• California Passes Nation’s First Cybersecurity Law Addressing Internet of Things, A. Vigderman & G. Turner, Security.org (2022)
• Cal Poly’s California Cybersecurity Institute teaches students to “defend the universe”, L. Shepard, Mustang News (2022)
• Social cybersecurity: an emerging science, K. M. Carley, Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory (2020)
• Cal Poly cybersecurity program works to uncover human trafficking, KXBX (2019) 

Video

• A Brief History of Cyber Security and Hacking, CyberNews, YouTube (2021)
• The State of Cybersecurity in 2020: Industry Panel and Networking Event Hosted by Cal Poly, California Cybersecurity Institute, YouTube (2021)

Primary Sources 

• Cybersecurity Case Library, Vol. 1, California Cybersecurity Institute (2021)
• NASA’s Cybersecurity Readiness, NASA (2021)
• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, US Congress (1986) 

*Wildcard Resource*

• Defend the Crown (2021)
• A computer game for all ages that teaches the basics of cybersecurity, through the defense of your virtual castle from cyber ninjas!