With support from the team at UC Berkeley’s University Development and Alumni Relations and the Light the Way Campaign, the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity has produced a new video showcasing our mission to amplify the upside of the digital revolution, help decision-makers act with foresight, and expand who has access to and participates in cybersecurity.
“We trust digital technologies with every aspect of our lives, but this dependency is tangled up in rapidly evolving challenges,” says Ann Cleaveland, CLTC’s Executive Director, in narrating the video. “The Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity draws from the breadth and depth of talent at UC Berkeley to look at digital security from multiple perspectives. CLTC works to identify problems five years out and beyond. We must get ahead and amplify the upside of the digital revolution for everyone.”
The video features diverse researchers who are affiliated with CLTC, including Angela Jin, an AI Policy Hub Fellow who helps defense attorneys evaluate evidence generated by algorithms; Alison Post, a professor of political science at UC Berkeley who studies local government vulnerabilities to cyberattacks; and Jessica Newman, who directs CLTC’s AI Security Initiative (AISI) and co-leads the AI Policy Hub.
Also appearing in the video is Hany Farid, Associate Dean at the School of Information, a renowned expert on detecting “deep fakes,” synthetic media produced with artificial intelligence. “CLTC works to help policymakers and the public understand the implications of these technologies so we can prepare for what’s to come,” Farid says.
Nikita Samarin, a PhD student in cybersecurity and privacy, says in the video that CLTC helped his team uncover apps that were violating laws meant to protect the privacy of California residents. “Now we’re creating tools for other research groups to build on this work for the protection of digital privacy,” Samarin says.
The video also spotlights Citizen Clinic, the world’s first cybersecurity clinic, which trains students to help nonprofit organizations defend themselves against digital threats. “As an undergraduate, I joined a Citizen Clinic team to help a reproductive rights group defend against online harassment and cyber attacks,” says Rachael Cornejo, a Citizen Clinic alumna who today works as an enterprise cybersecurity consultant. “It was a life-changing experience that lit the way for a career I love in a field I hadn’t imagined pursuing.”
Sekhar Sarukkai, a founder and security executive who is on CLTC’s external advisory board, explains in the video that CLTC’s future-oriented focus is important for the field as a whole. “CLTC’s proximity to Silicon Valley and access to UC Berkeley’s world-class experts means it’s uniquely positioned to partner with industry to tackle technology challenges that affect every one of us,” Sarukkai says. “I follow CLTC’s research, volunteer as an external advisor, and give personally to support their mission.
The video also showcases how CLTC will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025, when it is expected to move into The Gateway, a new hub for cross-disciplinary research that will house UC Berkeley’s Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS).
“Our ability to impact the future of digital security has never been brighter,” Cleaveland says. “How will you help light the way to securing and democratizing the digital revolution?”
Learn more about how you can help “light the way” by supporting CLTC and how gifts in 2023 are doubled through our Cyberphilanthropy Match
CLTC would like to thank the Stephen McNally, Sepe Rafiei, and Stefanie Kalem for their production of this video.
