




Aug 6, 2021 - 58min
EPISODE 11
TRM Talks: Ransomware & Cyberattacks in the Age of Crypto
With Tom Hofman, and Carole House, and Lisa Sotto and Kenneth Schaffer
The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security said recently, “As ransomware attacks continue to rise around the world, businesses and other organizations must prioritize their cybersecurity. Cyber criminals have targeted critical infrastructure, small businesses, hospitals, police departments, schools, and more." The White House has stressed the need to work with international partners and the private sector in order to defeat a borderless enemy and the F.B.I. Director has compared the threat to 9-11.
At the same time, we're seeing more and more instances of ransomware and cyberattacks that leverage cryptocurrencies to facilitate payments. How are law enforcement agencies and the private sector moving to coordinate defensive and offensive responses to this emerging threat? Join this discussion, featuring an impressive lineup of experts from a range of sectors, to find out.
About the guests

Tom Hofmann is the Chief Intelligence Officer at risk intelligence firm Flashpoint, responsible for the collection, analysis, production, and dissemination of intelligence at Flashpoint. Tom has been at the forefront of cyber intelligence operations in the commercial, government, and military sectors, and is renowned for his ability to drive effective intelligence operations to support offensive and defensive network operations.

Carole House is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center. She is currently serving as the White House National Security Council (NSC) special advisor for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure policy, where had also served as the director for cybersecurity and secure digital innovation in 2021-2022. House recently was an executive in residence at Terranet Ventures, Inc., and served on advisory councils for thd US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the New York Department of Financial Services, and the Idaho Department of Finance. She previously worked at the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), where she led cybersecurity, virtual currency, and emerging technology policy efforts as a senior cyber and emerging technology policy officer. Prior to FinCEN, House worked as a presidential management fellow supporting the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Cyber and National Security Unit and the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, and critical infrastructure protection policy issues. House is a former Army captain who served in chemical defense and military intelligence until November 2014, including a deployment to Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, from 2012 to 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She holds a BA in international affairs from the University of Georgia and an MA in security studies from Georgetown University.

Lisa chairs the firm’s top-ranked global privacy and cybersecurity practice and is the managing partner of the firm’s New York office. Lisa has received widespread recognition for her work in the areas of privacy and cybersecurity. Chambers USA quotes clients who call her a “market leader,” noting that she is “widely considered the best.” Another client reported that “she is a strong leader with fantastic advice. She does great work on advisory boards and her leadership in the industry has really moved it forward.” Chambers and Partners honored Lisa with the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession award, which is given to only one lawyer each year for exceptional achievements, and noted that a peer enthused, “Lisa Sotto is a legend.” Clients have called Lisa “the high priestess of privacy” and “the queen of breach.” She was named among The National Law Journal’s “100 Most Influential Lawyers,” an honor bestowed on practicing attorneys who are making the biggest impact in the legal world.
A preeminent lawyer and dynamic problem solver, Lisa assists clients in identifying, evaluating and managing risks associated with privacy and data security practices. She advises clients on the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 and other comprehensive state privacy laws, GLB, HIPAA and state health privacy laws, COPPA, CAN-SPAM, FCRA, VPPA, data breach notification laws, and other U.S. state and federal privacy and cybersecurity requirements (including HR rules), and global data protection laws (including those in the EU, Asia and Latin America). She provides extensive advice on cybersecurity risks, incidents and policy issues, including proactive cyber incident readiness. Through the firm’s privacy and security in M&A transactions team, Lisa also guides clients on risks and potential liabilities associated with inadequate privacy and data security practices in high-stakes corporate transactions. She conducts all phases of data privacy assessments and information security policy audits. She also develops corporate records management programs, including policies, records retention schedules and training modules.
Lisa has been rated the “No. 1 privacy professional” in all surveys by Computerworld magazine. She is recognized by Chambers and Partners as a “Star” performer (the highest honor) for privacy and data security—the only privacy lawyer in the United States to receive this distinguished ranking. She also is ranked among the leading lawyers in Band 1 for incident response. Lisa is recognized as a leading lawyer for cyber crime, data protection and privacy by The Legal 500 United States. In addition, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s privacy and cybersecurity practice has received the topmost national rankings in privacy and data security both from Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
Lisa speaks frequently at conferences, has testified regularly before the US Congress and other legislative and regulatory agencies, is the author of numerous treatises and articles, has been tapped to lead several industry committees and organizations, is sought after by media outlets and industry publications for her professional insights, and appears regularly on national television and radio news programs. She is the editor and lead author of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Law Deskbook, published by Aspen Publishers, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.

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