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Power, Security, and the Infrastructure of Tomorrow with Power Podcast Host Aaron Larson show art Power, Security, and the Infrastructure of Tomorrow with Power Podcast Host Aaron Larson

Cyber Focus

In this special crossover edition of Cyber Focus and the Power Podcast, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Aaron Larson to explore the evolving intersection of energy innovation and cybersecurity. From breakthroughs in small modular reactors and geothermal technologies to the power demands of AI and electric vehicles, they examine how the U.S. grid is being reshaped by both opportunity and threat. Larson draws on his background in nuclear power and conversations with top industry leaders to highlight the promise of emerging energy sources—and the urgent need to bake in security from the...

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Inside the UK’s Cyber Strategy: Richard Horne on Resilience, Risk, and AI show art Inside the UK’s Cyber Strategy: Richard Horne on Resilience, Risk, and AI

Cyber Focus

Richard Horne, CEO of the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), joins host Frank Cilluffo to explore how the UK is strengthening cyber resilience across critical infrastructure, private industry, and international partnerships. Drawing from his experience in both government and the private sector, Horne outlines NCSC’s approach to tackling advanced threats, closing resilience gaps, and collaborating with allies on systemic cyber defense. The conversation spans ransomware, AI, supply chain risk, quantum cryptography, and how organizations—large and small—can better...

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Cyber Focus

Kristina Walter, Director of the NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, joins Frank Cilluffo to explain how the NSA is building trusted partnerships with private industry to counter advanced cyber threats. Walter shares how collaborative work with defense contractors and tech providers has helped uncover zero-day vulnerabilities, block billions of malicious domains, and expose Chinese operations like Volt Typhoon. She also discusses the role of AI in cyber defense, the race to prepare for quantum computing, and why resilience—not perfection—is the new benchmark for critical...

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Hacking the Harvest: Jonathan Braley on Ransomware, GPS Disruption, and Securing U.S. Agriculture show art Hacking the Harvest: Jonathan Braley on Ransomware, GPS Disruption, and Securing U.S. Agriculture

Cyber Focus

In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo sits down with Jonathan Braley, Director of the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC), to explore the growing cybersecurity threats facing the U.S. food and agriculture sector. They examine the integration of operational technology (OT), the rise in ransomware attacks on farms and food producers, and the fragile nature of supply chain cybersecurity. Braley highlights why even small farms are increasingly targeted and how awareness, threat intelligence sharing, and proactive cyber defense strategies are...

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Cyber Warfare, Workforce, and Fixing the System: Top House Chairmen on the Digital Threat show art Cyber Warfare, Workforce, and Fixing the System: Top House Chairmen on the Digital Threat

Cyber Focus

In this special Independence Day episode of Cyber Focus, we bring together highlights from three influential House leaders shaping U.S. cyber policy: Chairman Mark Green (Homeland Security), Chairman Mike Rogers (Armed Services), and Chairman Rick Crawford (Intelligence). From digital warfare and offensive cyber capabilities to workforce development and interagency reform, this episode offers a rare look into how Congress is working to strengthen national security in the digital age. Listen to their full interviews: • Rick Crawford – We Are in a State of Digital Warfare • Mike Rogers...

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Iran, Ceasefires, and Cyber Threats: A Briefing with General Frank McKenzie (Ret.) show art Iran, Ceasefires, and Cyber Threats: A Briefing with General Frank McKenzie (Ret.)

Cyber Focus

In this urgent episode of Cyber Focus recorded June 24, 2025, host Frank Cilluffo speaks with retired General Frank McKenzie, former Commander of U.S. Central Command and Executive Director of the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida. The discussion focuses on the unfolding crisis between Iran and Israel, recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and the fragile ceasefire now in place. McKenzie offers expert insight into the strategic weakness of Iran, the state of its proxy forces, and the growing threat of Iranian cyberattacks. They also...

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To the Point: Iran’s Cyber Threat After Israel’s Strikes show art To the Point: Iran’s Cyber Threat After Israel’s Strikes

Cyber Focus

As tensions explode between Israel and Iran, what cyber threats could hit the U.S. next? In this urgent episode of To the Point, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery—cybersecurity expert and longtime Solarium Commission leader—to assess the growing risk of Iranian cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. With Iran and its proxies already escalating digital aggression against Israeli targets, Montgomery warns that water systems, energy grids, and transportation networks in the U.S. could soon face similar threats. The conversation explores: The...

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“We Are in a State of Digital Warfare”: Chairman Rick Crawford on the Cyber Frontlines show art “We Are in a State of Digital Warfare”: Chairman Rick Crawford on the Cyber Frontlines

Cyber Focus

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Congressman Rick Crawford, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They explore the evolving cyber threat landscape—from Chinese infiltration of U.S. supply chains to the rise of paramilitary cartels leveraging advanced digital tools. Crawford shares his perspective on offensive cyber capabilities, domestic counterintelligence reform, and efforts to close legislative blind spots through inter-committee collaboration. The conversation also covers critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, agricultural...

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Splitting Commands, Building Capabilities: DefenseScoop’s Mark Pomerleau on the DoD's Cyber Future show art Splitting Commands, Building Capabilities: DefenseScoop’s Mark Pomerleau on the DoD's Cyber Future

Cyber Focus

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Mark Pomerleau, senior reporter for DefenseScoop, to discuss the evolving landscape of U.S. cyber operations and military doctrine. Pomerleau unpacks the ongoing debate over splitting NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, the rising role of offensive cyber capabilities, and what “Cybercom 2.0” might look like in practice. He also explores the integration of cyber, electronic warfare, and space as part of a new operational triad, and shares lessons learned from Ukraine that are reshaping U.S. strategy. Together, they examine whether...

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Space Is the Battlefield: Deterrence, Hypersonics, and China’s Threat with ULA CEO Tory Bruno show art Space Is the Battlefield: Deterrence, Hypersonics, and China’s Threat with ULA CEO Tory Bruno

Cyber Focus

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Tory Bruno, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is responsible for more than 90% of U.S. national security space launches. Bruno discusses the escalating threat landscape in space, the urgency of a layered missile defense architecture known as the "Golden Dome," and how adversaries like China may initiate future conflicts in orbit before any shots are fired on Earth. The conversation also explores the technological and policy components of space deterrence, Bruno’s insights from decades of leadership in...

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In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Congressman Rick Crawford, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They explore the evolving cyber threat landscape—from Chinese infiltration of U.S. supply chains to the rise of paramilitary cartels leveraging advanced digital tools. Crawford shares his perspective on offensive cyber capabilities, domestic counterintelligence reform, and efforts to close legislative blind spots through inter-committee collaboration. The conversation also covers critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, agricultural data security, and the strategic role of open-source intelligence in modern national security.

Main Topics Covered:

  • China’s cyber-enabled influence operations in the Western Hemisphere
  • The evolution of cartels into cyber-capable paramilitary organizations
  • Counterintelligence gaps within the U.S. and the need for stronger domestic protections
  • Hardware vulnerabilities in supply chains, agriculture, and freight logistics
  • Debate over splitting NSA and U.S. Cyber Command leadership (“dual-hat” issue)
  • Legislative focus on reauthorizing CISA and addressing liability protections for reporting
  • The national security importance of open-source intelligence (OSINT)

Key Quotes:

“We are living in a state of digital warfare… As long as we continue to be in a defensive posture, this will continue to be a pervasive problem.” —Chairman Rick Crawford

“[The cartels] have evolved into essentially a paramilitary organization… this is not the 1980s and they are very much a sophisticated adversary.” —Chairman Rick Crawford

“It's [China’s] ability to seed critical infrastructure elements…that gives them a foray into our supply chain. That makes us very, very vulnerable.” —Chairman Rick Crawford

“[Open source intelligence] comprises about 25% of the President's Daily Brief. That’s significant… but it doesn’t have the appropriate level of attention paid to it.” —Chairman Rick Crawford

"We either need to be all in [on Cyber Command] as a combatant command and then stand it up and authorize it the way it should be, fund it appropriately and organize it appropriately, or we need to say we think the NSA can do this and make this sort of a subsidiary of the NSA." —Chairman Rick Crawford

Relevant Links and Resources:

·       Learn more about Congressman Rick Crawford: https://crawford.house.gov

·       House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: https://intelligence.house.gov

Guest Bio:
Rep. Rick Crawford represents Arkansas’s First Congressional District and serves as Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. A former Army EOD technician, Crawford brings a national security lens to issues ranging from intelligence oversight and supply chain security to cyber threats in agriculture. He also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee, positioning him uniquely to address cybersecurity across critical infrastructure sectors.