Views from the Cyber Trenches: Understanding U.S. Military Cyber Dynamics
In this special edition episode of Cache Me if You Can, we dive beneath the surface of the U.S. military’s cyber enterprise to uncover the hidden challenges facing today’s cyber warfighters. CSIS Deputy Director Lauryn Williams is joined by three retired cyber operators—Col. Sean Kern, LtCol Tony Siciliano, and Col. Ben Ring—for a candid conversation about the real conditions inside the cyber trenches.
Drawing on anonymous quotes from current operators across the Services, the episode breaks down the four systemic pressures shaping the cyber workforce:
Leadership: Why technically proficient cyber operators rarely rise into senior command roles.
Training: How uneven and outdated training pipelines leave some operators unprepared for mission demands.
Readiness: Why a small cadre of highly skilled “unicorn” operators end up carrying the majority of the operational load.
Culture: How traditional service cultures undervalue cyber expertise compared to kinetic career fields.
Together, the guests unpack how these structural issues weaken the nation’s cyber readiness—and why addressing them may require establishing a dedicated U.S. Cyber Force designed to recruit, train, and retain the country’s top cyber talent.
Learn more at the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program.
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Cables Under Pressure: Securing Europe’s Subsea Cables
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we dive beneath the surface to explore the fragile networks that keep the world connected. Our guest, Dr. Anna-Maria Osula, Cyber and Economic Counselor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington D.C., unpacks the geopolitical and technical stakes of securing subsea cables. We discuss Europe’s emerging Cable Security Action Plan, NATO’s new Baltic Sentry surveillance mission, and how hybrid threats, from anchor drags to covert sabotage, are reshaping the way allies think about resilience. Together, we examine what happens when the world’s data highways become battlefields, and what Europe’s experience can teach the rest of the world about protecting the foundations of the digital age.
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23:44
Swords, Shields, and Scaling Laws: Rethinking AI Power
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we speak with Drew Lohn, Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and former Director for Emerging Technology at the National Security Council. Drew has been ahead of the curve in debates on scaling laws, AI’s impact on cyber offense and defense, and the economic and political risks of extractive AI models. We discuss key factors that will determine the course of the global AI race beyond the usual discussions of building bigger models, and what policy choices can tilt the balance toward more secure, resilient AI.
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Building Resilience: How the U.S. Can Regain a Cyber Advantage
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, host Matt Pearl sits down with Anne Neuberger, former Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, to unpack how the United States can build a resilient cyber strategy in the face of growing Chinese aggression.
Drawing on her recent Foreign Affairs publication, Neuberger explains why China is winning the cyberwar, how AI-enabled “digital twins” could transform U.S. defense, and why resilience, not offense, must underpin deterrence.
The conversation explores the convergence of intelligence, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, the role of the private sector in defending critical infrastructure, and what it will take to secure America’s digital future.
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Why We Can’t Break Up: Antitrust & Big Tech
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, host Matt Pearl is joined by Philip Luck, Director of the Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business, and Bill Reinsch, Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair Emeritus in International Business at CSIS. They explore how the U.S. can balance antitrust enforcement with the need to stay competitive against China’s state-backed tech giants, what breaking up Big Tech could mean for innovation and national security, and how smarter competition policy can help sustain America’s edge in the global tech race.
USA