Anaheim ITEXPO 2015 Casts a Spotlight on Legal Issues in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is undoubtedly a topic on every technical professional’s mind. Considering that Target (News - Alert), Home Depot and Sony have been hacked and face innumerable penalties (i.e. decreased customer trust/loyalty and diminished brand reputation), it’s clear that cybersecurity is a very real threat that can lead to very tangible consequences for companies worldwide.

Perhaps no one is more aptly suited to present on this topic than Rajeev Sachdev, a professor, researcher and lawyer based in the state of California who is pursuing graduate work at Oxford University on cybersecurity, law and IP. Sachdev holds several related degrees, including a Masters in Law, and has spoken globally on technology and law topics at such places including Cambridge Law and Stanford.

Sachdev knows better than anyone how cybersecurity, although a highly discussed topic, leaves much left to be understood—especially when it comes to legal obligations and considerations. In short, he says the law has to catch up to an already complex technical area. Sachdev’s presentation was of great interest to technical professionals, as he sought to answer the questions of “What’s our legal obligation as far as cybersecurity is concerned?” and “What items on the boardroom agenda do we need to have to satisfy the legal problems that are emerging?”

“As security professionals, we need to lead the cybersecurity agenda, yet lawyers are bringing up the fact that there are as many legal issues within this field as there are business and technical ones,” Sachdev explained. “Cyber security is not just a technical issue; it pervades several different areas including high-level business and technical staff, among many others.”

Cyber security law has not yet defined itself, Sachdev argues, but that doesn’t mean the answers can remain undiscovered. Cybersecurity law is an extremely exciting space that is continually unfolding, and attendees of this breakout session surely walked away with actionable tips and best practices for meeting legal requirements in today’s rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity.