This panel explores the opportunities and challenges of private-academic collaboration. In theory, closer collaboration between cybersecurity practitioners and academic researchers could provide significant mutual benefits. Practitioners have unrivaled experience and insight into intrusions as they happen, yet operating in a competitive market brings inevitable constraints in the choice and prioritization of research aims. Academics do not face these constraints, and may offer advanced methodological expertise, yet often lack practical experience and insights. Hence, in an ideal world, collaboration would allow both sides to overcome their respective constraints, and further improve their strengths.

Yet in the real world, this has rarely happened. Evidently, there are perceived dangers in crossing these streams. Our panel brings together practitioners from leading vendors and academics to examine why this is the case. The panel discussion will identify the primary obstacles to collaboration and potential challenges in overcoming them. Finally, building on this discussion, we outline potential collaborative projects and how to facilitate them.

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Panelists

• Lilian Teng, Senior Manager Advanced Cyber Threats Team, Verizon
• Jayce Nichols, VP of Intelligence Research, FireEye
• JD Work, Bren Chair for Cyber Conflict and Security, Marine Corps University
• Monica Kaminska, Postdoctoral Researcher, The Hague Program for Cyber Norms, Leiden University
• Xander Bouwman, PhD Candidate, TU Delft

Chair

• Lennart Maschmeyer, Senior Researcher, ETH Zurich

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More information about this event

The Bridging the Gap workshop this year will be distributed over the course of 3 months in the form of Friday afternoon happy-hour panels in December, January, and February and will feature a focused conversation followed by an opportunity to socialize with the community on a Zoom panel. Please register using the code "BTG2020" for the workshop here.