Cybersecurity Issues

This page offers an easy way for policymakers to access cybersecurity research and analysis that is relevant to current Congressional agendas. For additional information, to request documents, or to arrange a briefing, contact the RAND Office of Congressional Relations at ocr@rand.org or (703) 413-1100 x5643.

Recent Findings

  • Blog

    RAND Commentary Highlights of 2021

    Dec 21, 2021

    Vaccine rollouts, an attack on the U.S. Capitol, massive ransomware attacks, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, record numbers of job openings and people quitting, and more. RAND researchers weighed in on all these topics and more.

  • A woman with a smartphone is seen in front of social media logos, May 25, 2021, photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters

    Report

    Understanding the Online Extremist Ecosystem

    Dec 2, 2021

    By the early 2010s, it was clear that the internet provided white supremacists and other extremists a tool to operationalize their hateful ideas and cause real-world harms. How can the average user understand their risk of exposure to extremist content and make informed decisions about the platforms they use?

  • Close view of a quantum computer, photo by Bartek Wróblewski/Adobe Stock

    Report

    Commercial and Military Applications of Quantum Technology

    Oct 28, 2021

    There are three main categories of quantum technology: quantum sensing, quantum communication, and quantum computing. How—and when—might these technologies affect national security? And which countries lead in developing them?

  • An isometric graphic illustration the supply chain for Internet of Things products.

    Multimedia

    Unraveling the Gordian Knot: Considering Supply Chain Resiliency

    Oct 14, 2021

    An overview of testimony by Caolionn O'Connell presented before a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on October 14, 2021.

  • U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rose Li, right, hands a notebook to Airman 1st Class Eric Gardella, both 86th Communications Squadron wing cyber readiness technicians, while monitoring malicious network activity during exercise Tacet Venari at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 2, 2020, photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer/U.S. Air Force

    Report

    Improving U.S. Air Force Training and Development in the Cyber Field

    Sep 29, 2021

    The U.S. Air Force has been looking for ways to revamp the training of its offensive and defensive cyberwarfare workforce to develop the best fighting force possible. Is the training and development process that exists now working well for the cyber workforce? Is there a need for improvement?

More Research on Cybersecurity

Briefings

  • Chat bot in the form of binary code

    Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

    Mar 15, 2019

    How can policymakers combat the threat of Russian social media influence? Elizabeth Bodine-Baron will discuss different approaches and policy options to respond to Russian influence via disinformation spread on social media in the United States. [Washington, D.C.]

  • Security concept: lock on digital screen

    Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

    Jun 8, 2018

    Many of the laws that govern data privacy were developed before the widespread adoption of online communications and social media accounts. Should consumers be in charge of self-regulating what they share and how companies use it? Rebecca Balebako and John Davis will discuss policy opportunities for better protecting consumer data. [Washington, D.C.]

  • Capturing data/information theft

    Equifax and the Data-Breach Era: How Worried Should We Be?

    Oct 26, 2017

    Large-scale data breaches have compromised the identifying information of millions of people. What can policymakers do to improve responses to such breaches, and how can the public protect information that has already been compromised? Lilian Ablon and Sina Beaghley answer these questions and more in a RAND Congressional Briefing.

  • Illustration of information security

    RAND Cybersecurity Workshop

    Aug 17, 2016

    In this cybersecurity workshop, legislative staffers can learn how to calculate cyber risk; where to find appropriate information about threats, vulnerabilities, and impact; and better consider options for legislation and federal government response in cyberspace. [Washington, DC]

  • Soledad O'Brien, Chuck Hagel, Michael Rich, and Michael Lynton at One Night with RAND, November 11, 2015

    What Is America's Role in the World?

    Nov 11, 2015

    One Night with RAND brought together leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and media for a discussion about the international strategic choices that will shape the U.S. role in the world for years to come.

Alerts & Newsletters

RAND periodically sends alerts and newsletters to update Congress on highlights of recent work about cybersecurity.

  • In Case You Missed It: Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

    Apr 1, 2019

    In this Congressional briefing, Elizabeth Bodine-Baron discusses different approaches and policy options to respond to the specific threat of Russian influence via disinformation spread on social media in the United States.

  • A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka Jayhawk helicopter crew conducts vertical replenishment training with the crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter Maple in Southeast Alaska's Western Channel

    Catch Up Quick: Homeland Security Issues for Congress

    Aug 14, 2018

    Catch up on the homeland security issues facing Congress, including cybersecurity, the Coast Guard and United States border, and countering violent extremism.

  • Network connection concept with Chicago cityscape

    Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

    Jun 28, 2018

    What policy opportunities could Congress consider to better protect consumer data? Rebecca Balebako and John Davis discuss the benefits and risks of data sharing at both the personal and industry level.

  • Abstract motion speed light with night city background

    The Promises and Perils of Speed

    May 4, 2018

    Across the world, there is a profound sense that life is speeding up, and the faster life gets, the more we have to adjust our norms to keep pace. This ramped-up pace and how we react to it have the potential to fundamentally rework how we interact, think, and create.

  • Web access

    In Case You Missed It: Data Thieves

    Mar 22, 2018

    In 2017, there were more than one thousand data breaches exposing over a billion records of sensitive data. What's happening to stolen data and how is it being monetized? Lillian Ablon addresses these concerns.

  • Hands typing with visual of computer code

    In Case You Missed It: Equifax and the Data-Breach Era

    Nov 13, 2017

    There has been a recent string of large-scale data breaches that have compromised the private information of millions of customers. Lillian Ablon and Sina Beaghley briefed Congressional staff on how the government and breached companies can better protect victims.

  • Hacker with Russia flag in data

    In Case You Missed It: Understanding Russian Hybrid Warfare

    Mar 31, 2017

    Russia's use of covert actions to achieve its national security objectives without escalating to the level of traditional war is known as hybrid warfare. Addressing this threat will take time and effort, but there are strategies the U.S. can use to combat these hybrid operations.

  • The Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.

    2016 Hill Highlights

    Dec 15, 2016

    In 2016, RAND experts conducted briefings on Capitol Hill, provided testimonies before congressional committees, hosted workshops, and published reports on some of the nation's most pressing issues, including health care for veterans, autonomous vehicles, NATO military posture, and cyber policy.

  • An ISIS militant waves an ISIS flag in Raqqa, Syria, June 29, 2014

    The Online Fight Against ISIS

    May 10, 2016

    The battle against ISIS is taking place both on the ground and in cyberspace: To prevail, the United States and its allies will have to be capable of reacting quickly, while following an overarching strategy.

  • View to an operating room through an office window

    Ransomware Hackers Are Coming for Your Health Records

    Apr 27, 2016

    Cybercriminals may be preying on hospitals because cyber protection measures likely have not kept pace with electronic data collection and because hospitals typically do not have backup systems and databases in place. These kind of attacks can strain health care systems and potentially put patients' lives at risk.

  • Illustrated photo of a person typing on a computer keyboard

    Cybersecurity Awareness Month: The Latest RAND Research

    Oct 16, 2015

    RAND's research on cybersecurity covers national security, cyberdeterrence, cybercrime centers, information sharing, cyber insurance, and cloud computing. Experts are available to discuss their work, as well as related policy proposals.


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