Lessons from a Hacker: Cyber Concepts for Policymakers

In this September 2015 congressional briefing, RAND's Lillian Ablon discusses the basics of cyber and information security and provides insights into some of the complexities of cybersecurity policymaking. Topics include

• the risk cycle, including threats, vulnerabilities, and impact
• the risks posed by software vulnerabilities
• the internet of things
• how human weakness plays into a successful hack

This briefing is intended to give staffers from different backgrounds—health, commerce, national security, homeland security—grounding in cyber concepts, because cyber is not limited to any one public policy domain.