Cyber Warfare: Understanding National Security in the 21st Century

James R. Langevin Symposium, April 2023

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The war in Ukraine is the most recent example of conflict involving large-scale cyber operations—providing the United States and the Western world a glimpse of what the future of cyber warfare means for national security, the economy, and protecting private sector critical infrastructure.

On April 17, the James R. Langevin Symposium Series presented “Cyber Warfare: Understanding National Security in the 21st Century.” Featuring prominent experts from the U.S. military and civilian government, this event examined recent cyber operations during the war in Ukraine and provided key insights on national security, the economy, protecting private sector critical infrastructure, and the impacts on global diplomacy.

The symposium featured several presentations and a panel discussion with questions from the audience.

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Order of Program

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Participants

The Honorable James R. Langevin served as a member of Congress from 2001 to 2023, representing Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District. A senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he served his entire tenure in Congress, Langevin was chair of the Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, later called the Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee, a post he held starting in 2011. An expert on national security, Langevin helped shape the focus of the Department of Defense, paving the way for a heightened emphasis on harnessing emerging technologies. In 2003, he was a founding member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. An expert in cybersecurity policy, he founded and co-chaired the House Cybersecurity Caucus and served on the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th presidency. Langevin was recently appointed to and serves on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, created by Congress to develop an overarching strategy to protect the country against cyberattacks of significant consequence.

Maj. Gen. William J. Hartman, U.S. Army, assumed his present duties as commander, Cyber National Mission Force, in August 2019. He previously served as the deputy commanding general at Joint Force Headquarters, Cyber. He is a distinguished military graduate of the University of South Alabama and holds master’s degrees in military art and science from Air University and Army Command and General Staff College respectively.

Valerie M. Cofield serves as chief strategy officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). She is the principal policy and strategic adviser to CISA leadership. Previously, Cofield was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 22 years, serving as deputy assistant director for the Cyber Capabilities Branch within the FBI’s Cyber Division.

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The James R. Langevin Symposium Series is a biannual event hosted by the University of Rhode Island College of Arts and Sciences to explore the topics of national security and U.S. civics and democracy.