On Wednesday, July 17th, ORF America hosted a group of young professionals for an after-hours discussion with Valentina Namé, Nitansha Bansal, and Shreya Lad. Ms. Namé is a Cybersecurity Program Officer within the Organization of American States’ cybersecurity program, where she co-leads the implementation of the project “Addressing the Gender Gap in the Cybersecurity Agenda in the Americas and the Caribbean Region”. Ms. Bansal is an Assistant Director with the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, part of the Atlantic Council’s Tech Programs. Ms. Lad is a Research Assistant with the Cyber Program at the Stimson Center and recently co-authored the report "Advancing Accountability in Cyberspace: Models, Mechanisms, and Multistakeholder Approaches." 

This edition of Briefings & Beer focused on Digital Threats. Setting aside technical jargon, the discussion explored the various socioeconomic factors that intersect with challenges in the digital world. Questions from the audience covered children's exposure to cyber threats, the impact of cryptocurrencies, and the role of disinformation in elections, among other topics. 

This was the seventh convening of the Briefings & Beer series, which is organized by ORF America for young professionals in Washington, DC. The series offers young professionals an opportunity to informally engage with distinguished foreign policy experts, as well as a platform to network with peers. Participants come from the U.S. Government, Congress, think tanks, graduate programs, and the private sector.