The Department of Homeland Security plays a crucial role in AI risk management and governance, particularly where it intersects with cybersecurity. The Department guides how the United States adopts and implements new cyber and AI technologies, and also works to defend against threats posed by others making use of new emerging technology capabilities.
On April 29, CSET hosted Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Iranga Kahangama to discuss the department’s broad and central role in cyber and AI risk management and governance.
Assistant Secretary Kahangama provided brief opening remarks, which were followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A with DHS AI Policy Specialist Noah Ringler and CSET Research Analyst Jessica Ji.
The event was broadcast live on CSET’s YouTube channel.
Recording
Participants
Iranga Kahangama is the Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk, and Resilience at the Department of Homeland Security. Previously, he served at the White House in the National Security Council as Director for Cyber Incident Response. In that role, he was the principal author of Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. He also oversaw the Federal Government’s response to a wide range of malicious cyber activity, including the Russia-attributed SolarWinds incident, China’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange servers, and ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and Kaseya Software. Prior to the NSC, he served as a senior policy advisor at the FBI, working on an array of cyber, internet, and technology policy issues. This included leading the FBI’s program on internet governance, where he was part of the US delegation to various internet governance forums including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). He earned a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Noah Ringler is an Artificial Intelligence Specialist in the Department of Homeland Security Headquarters’ Office of Strategy Policy and Plans. He contributed to the October 30, 2023 Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, as well as the development and implementation of AI policies across cyberspace and critical infrastructure. He previously served at U.S. Treasury, managing and developing AI technologies for national security missions. He is a 2021 graduate of Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, where he concentrated in emerging technology. While at Georgetown, he co-founded and led an AI startup through its seed funding round, before leaving the company to pursue public service. He was previously a Lead Data Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton and worked in counter threat finance as a defense contractor.
Jessica Ji is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), where she works on the CyberAI Project. Before joining CSET, she worked as a software engineer at Expedia Group. Jessica received an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in Computer Science from Princeton University.