Never before have we relied on the technology and cybersecurity sectors as heavily as we do today. With more people working from home and using telehealth services or remote learning tools, it is more important than ever that Congress devote legislative time to cyber issues and, potentially, develop new policies and regulations.

How Congress determines the future of cyber policy will be influenced by many factors. In the past, Congress has struggled to make policy while keeping up with the rate of change in these sectors. The dynamic nature of the cyber sector and constant development of new technologies requires legislators to remain up to date on new threats and technologies. This is no small task — and one where thought leaders can play a critical role by testifying at congressional hearings, speaking at think tanks, and collaborating with organizations to advance cyber legislation.

At RH Strategic, we partner with organizations respected in D.C. to generate discussions among, host events for and share innovative ideas between policymakers, thought leaders and the public. This is particularly important for cyber and technology companies due to the importance think tanks and other outside groups play in cyber policy development. To help jumpstart your influencer outreach efforts, we have put together this list of the top cyber policy organizations in the D.C. area.

Top Six Cyber Policy Influencer Organizations:

  1. The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization that is focused on advancing practical ideas to advance national security issues. Visit their cybersecurity website for more information on CSIS events and research on topics including telecommunications cybersecurity, national defense cyber security, and issues surrounding Huawei and 5G.
  2. The Brookings Institute is a nonprofit public policy organization that brings together more than 300 leading experts in government and academia to conduct events, research projects and policy white papers, among other things. Brookings has created the Cybersecurity Project, which focuses on topics including identifying threats and sound national defense cybersecurity policy, along with how evolving technologies such as big data, cloud computing and the internet of things will impact cybersecurity challenges moving forward.
  3. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to foreign policy challenges facing the United States. The CFR has a Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program, which is aimed at informing policy makers, business leaders and the public about cyber policy and politics. Topics covered in this program range from cybersecurity issues presented by state and non-state actors to the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and potential AI policy.
  4. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges. RAND Cybersecurity promotes research focused on emerging cyber technology, potential threats associated with cyber technology and potential policy solutions to address these threats.
  5. The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization that drives change by engaging issue area experts to facilitate turning ideas into policy. The Aspen Institute runs the Cybersecurity Group, a cross-sector, public-private cybersecurity forum including former government officials, Capitol Hill leaders and industry executives, among others. This group has a wide-ranging focus and touches on most aspects of cyber policy.
  6. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to advancing international peace through international relations policy. One focus area for the endowment is the Cyber Policy Initiative, which focuses on engaging high-level decisionmakers and experts to shape and analyze cybersecurity issues with the goal of shaping related policy solutions.

If you’re interested in working with cyber policy influencers to shape the conversation on an issue, or if you’re following an innovative organization that we should add to our watch list, we would love to hear from you! Reach out to Cybersecurity@rhstrategic.com to connect with our team.

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RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based communications firm with a nationwide presence and additional global reach via membership in the Worldcom Public Relations Group. We provide strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, government and healthcare markets.