Podcast: Monika Bickert and Tom Bossert on Fighting Digital Threats
How should we battle “digital” threats that are proliferating online? 
On October 18th Duke Law students and other guests heard some of the answers when the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security hosted a discussion with former Homeland Security Advisor and now ABC News Homeland Security analyst Tom Bossert, and Facebook’s Vice President for Global Policy Management and Counterterrorism, Monika Bickert.
For over an hour these two experts discussed – from contrasting perspectives – the challenges of and opportunities for both government and the private sector for addressing digital threats, especially those involving social media platforms.
The good news is that this extraordinary dialogue is now available to you online here!
Not only did they explore how terrorists and other adversaries try to use social media to advance their aims, but also the kind of techniques and resources Facebook and some other companies are bringing to bear.
One issue they highlight is that while a company like Facebook might be able to afford to assemble a team of thousands to counter digital threats, not all social media companies can do so. Moreover, the challenge of battling digital threats is complicated for global companies that have to accommodate the myriad of laws and regulations in the scores of country in which they operate. At the same time, for the U.S. government it’s obviously important to avoid infringing upon First Amendment rights.
Interestingly, Bossert and Bickert also discussed their different but unique career paths in which they used their law degrees in nontraditional ways. They had some concrete suggestions for law students interested in a career that may take them outside typical legal practices.
As I say, the event is now online here, and I highly recommend this really fascinating discussion.
As we like to say on Lawfire, check the facts, assess the arguments, and decide for yourself!
