McLaughlin is the former Senior Counterintelligence Advisor for United States Cyber Command, where he was responsible for the coordination of all Department of Defense counterintelligence operations in cyberspace. He was at the heart of the Pentagon’s efforts, for example, to prevent Russia from using cyberattacks to disrupt Ukraine’s economy. In this role, he was also in charge of overseeing counterintelligence support to every U.S. military offensive and defensive cyberspace operation worldwide. Prior to rising to this position, he spent a career conducting clandestine operations and sensitive activities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His vantage of the changing face of modern warfare is that of both a shadow warrior on the front lines and a trusted advisor to the military’s senior-most commanders. He is now a cybersecurity attorney in Washington, D.C. and currently serves as a Research Affiliate at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), where he leads a team in evaluating Department of Defense policies and federal regulations to enable the integration of government and private sector cyberspace capabilities to provide for national defenseBill Holstein was based in Hong Kong and Beijing for United Press International and has been following U.S.-China relations for more than 40 years. He also has specialized in covering technology since joining U.S. News & World Report in 1996. He has worked for or written for Business Week, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Fortune and other top publications.

"Influence operations." Once an exotic term from spy novels, remote from our daily lives, today it's a reality that touches all of us through our networked devices. Russia and China have gotten entry to our homes and to our minds, seeking to influence and disorient us. McLaughlin and Holstein are Paul Reveres for the 21st century, shouting the alarm and explaining how citizens, IT firms, and government must rebalance relations with China to protect our democratic system.Andrew J. Nathan, one of America’s top China-watchers and Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Columbia University

McLaughlin is the former Senior Counterintelligence Advisor for United States Cyber Command, where he was responsible for the coordination of all Department of Defense counterintelligence operations in cyberspace. He was at the heart of the Pentagon’s efforts, for example, to prevent Russia from using cyberattacks to disrupt Ukraine’s economy. In this role, he was also in charge of overseeing counterintelligence support to every U.S. military offensive and defensive cyberspace operation worldwide. Prior to rising to this position, he spent a career conducting clandestine operations and sensitive activities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His vantage of the changing face of modern warfare is that of both a shadow warrior on the front lines and a trusted advisor to the military’s senior-most commanders. He is now a cybersecurity attorney in Washington, D.C. and currently serves as a Research Affiliate at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), where he leads a team in evaluating Department of Defense policies and federal regulations to enable the integration of government and private sector cyberspace capabilities to provide for national defenseBill Holstein was based in Hong Kong and Beijing for United Press International and has been following U.S.-China relations for more than 40 years. He also has specialized in covering technology since joining U.S. News & World Report in 1996. He has worked for or written for Business Week, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Fortune and other top publications.

"Influence operations." Once an exotic term from spy novels, remote from our daily lives, today it's a reality that touches all of us through our networked devices. Russia and China have gotten entry to our homes and to our minds, seeking to influence and disorient us. McLaughlin and Holstein are Paul Reveres for the 21st century, shouting the alarm and explaining how citizens, IT firms, and government must rebalance relations with China to protect our democratic system.Andrew J. Nathan, one of America’s top China-watchers and Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Columbia University