Abstract: What is the strategic value of cyber weapons? Even though a growing body of research has addressed the destructive potential of cyber weapons, there remains a large gap in thinking about the strategic utility of these capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to partially fill this gap, by means of assessing under what conditions 'counterforce’ and ‘countervalue’ cyber weapons can be effective. I argue that cyber weapons can provide an ‘extra option’ to leaders. The discussed cases suggest that they can be used both as an important force-multiplier enabler for conventional military assets or as independent capability. Cyber weapons can also be used to achieve a form of psychological ascendancy and can be used effectively with few casualties.

Speaker Bio: Max Smeets is a cybersecurity fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford, St. John’s College. Max current book project focuses on the causes underlying cyber proliferation and restraint. The results of this research are valuable for understanding the likely changes in the future prevalence of cyber weapons. It clarifies to what degree this is an ‘inevitable’ development – and if/how it can be stopped.

Max was a College Lecturer in Politics at Keble College, University of Oxford, and Research Affiliate of the Oxford Cyber Studies Programme. He was also a Carnegie Visiting Scholar at Columbia University SIPA and a Doctoral Visiting Scholar at Sciences Po CERI. He holds an undergraduate degree from University College Roosevelt, Utrecht University, and an M.Phil in International Relations from the University of Oxford, Brasenose College.  Max has a diverse professional background, having worked for financial, political, and non-governmental organizations.

Michael McFaul, Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Professor Political Science

and FSI Senior Fellow, Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution

Francis Fukuyama, Mosbacher Director, Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law,

Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at FSI and the Hoover Insitution

Eileen Donahoe, Executive Director, Global Digital Policy Incubator

Cordially Invite you to a conference conmemorating the launch of the 

Global Digital Policy Incubator

Friday, October 6, 2017

Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall

Registration / Coffee / Meet the Speakers

9:30-10:00am

Welcome to the Global Digital Policy Incubator

10:00-10:015am

When Freedom of Expression Conflicts with Democracy

Enhancing the Quality of Discourse Necessary to Sustain Democracy                  10:15-11:45am

Moderator: Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and FSI

Timothy Garton Ash, Hoover Institution, Stanford, Oxford University & Free Speech Debate

Francis Fukuyama, Director, Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, Stanford

Brittan Heller, Director of Technology & Society, Anti-Defamation League

Ieva Kupce Ilves, Cybersecurity expert, former head of Cybersecurity Policy, MoD Latvia

Justine Isola, Product Policy Manager at Facebook

When Information Becomes the Weapon

Expanding notions of National Security in the Digital Context                                 12:00-1:45pm

​Moderator: Michael Mcfaul, Director of FSI, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia

Toomas Ilves, Former President of Estonia

Mike Brown, Presidential Innovation Fellow, DIUX, Fformer CEO Symantec

Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff to former President Obama, Senior Principle, Markle Foundation

Nicole Wong, former U.S. Deputy CTO, former Google Vice President & Deputy General Counsel,

former Legal Director of Product, Twitter

Digital Platforms and Democratic Responsibility

Emerging Private Sector Roles in Protecting Freedom and Security                       2:00-3:30pm

Moderator: Larry Kramer, President of the Hewlett Foundation 

Juniper Downs, Global Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, Youtube

Daphne Keller, Director of Intermediary Liability, Center for Internet & Society, Stanford Law School

Andrew McLaughlin, Co-Founder, Higher Ground Labs, Venter Partner, Betaworks, former U.S. Dep. CTO

Nick Pickles, Senior Public Policy Manager, Twitter

Mike Posner, Director, NYU Stern Center for Business & Human Rights, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

Keynote Conversation 

Digital Technology, Diplomacy, and Democratic Values                                                     

Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton

In conversation with Eileen Donahoe, Executive Director of the Global Digital Policy Incubator,

former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council

4:30 - 5:30pm

Cemex Auditorium, Knight Management Center

*event by invitation only, doors open at 3:30pm, guests must be in their seats 4:15pm*

Ticket Lottery for (Stanford students only) will open Wednesday, September 27 through the

Stanford Ticket Office 

Abstract: The United States is (belatedly) waking up to the risk that adversaries will use social media and botnets to influence U.S. elections. However, we have only begun to analyze how adversaries might conduct information operations in the United States to help advance other political goals, especially during intense crises or escalating cyber conflicts.  Strategies to counter such information operations in the U.S. homeland do not exist. To help begin filling that gap, this presentation examines the risk that adversaries will combine cyberattacks on the power grid with disinformation campaigns, tailored to maximize the disruptive effect of blackouts and gain leverage over U.S. leaders for conflict resolution. The presentation also proposes how the electric industry can build on its expertise for “unity of messaging” in hurricane-induced outages, and partner with government agencies to meet the very different (and vastly more difficult) challenges of countering information warfare.  

Speaker Bio: Paul Stockton is the Managing Director of Sonecon LLC, an economic and security advisory firm in Washington, DC.  Before joining Sonecon, Dr. Stockton served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs from May 2009 until January 2013.  In that position, he helped lead the Department’s response to Superstorm Sandy and other disasters. Dr. Stockton also guided Defense Critical Infrastructure Protection policies and programs. Dr. Stockton was twice awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, DOD's highest civilian award. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and a BA from Dartmouth College.  He is the author of Superstorm Sandy: Implications for Designing a Post-Cyber Attack Power Restoration System and numerous other publications on cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience.