Cybersecurity and National Security: A War-Game Simulation

On the 12th of March, together with AmCham and Eversheds Sutherlands, the BSCC welcomed members to a cyberattack simulation with Michael Bahar & Jeffrey W. Cottle.

Michael is Partner and Co-Lead of Global Cybersecurity and Data Privacy and US Co-Lead of Congressional Investigations at Eversheds Sutherland. He was previously Deputy Legal Advisor to the National Security Council at the White House and was the lead negotiation lawyer in the peace talks with the Taliban.

Jeffrey W. Cottle is Partner and Global Co-Head of National Security Investigations Practice at Eversheds Sutherland. He focuses on white-collar crime and compliance matters, with an emphasis on fraud, corruption, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions and export controls. Jeff is a dual citizen of the US and UK, and is qualified in both jurisdictions. He is a retired Commander in the US Navy, having served as a decorated US Naval Intelligence officer in operations around the globe.

During the evening, participants engaged in a simulated cyberattack and explored various security challenges within a company. They first discussed these scenarios in smaller groups, followed by an open discussion led by Bahar and Cottle where possible solutions and key takeaways were analyzed. Among other points, they emphasised the sensitivity of social media, the importance of having the right people involved, and the need to recognise signs of a potential breach.

Some key considerations during a cyberattack, according to Bahar and Cottle, include:

• Identify, anticipate and minimise the risk.
• Build and collaborate with the team to maintain a unified protection.
• Slow things down and maintain calm.
• Trust your instincts if something is strange about a link or an email.
• High-tech problems can have low-tech solutions.
• Control the risks before the chaos and control the narrative.

We extend our sincerest gratitude to Eversheds Sutherland for hosting us, to our speakers Michael Bahar & Jeffrey W. Cottle for their invaluable insights and expertise, to Amcham for a fantastic collaboration and to everyone who participated and contributed to making this event a success.

We would also like to take this moment to congratulate Torbjörn Lindmark for his new role of Managing Partner and Ulrika Sparrman for becoming Chair of the board at Eversheds Sutherland.