Many conversations today frame AI + cyber as a looming arms race—faster attackers, smarter malware, more breaches. But what if the real opportunity is to make the cybersecurity aftermarket obsolete by addressing its root cause: insecure, defect-ridden software? For nearly 40 years, the world has been patching the same types of software flaws that caused the first Internet crash in 1988. The truth is: We don’t have a cybersecurity problem. We have a software quality problem. That can finally change.

Jen Easterly is a globally recognized cybersecurity and national security leader with deep expertise on cyber threats, emerging technologies, and organizational resilience. She most recently served as Director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—America’s premier cyber defense agency—where she led efforts to protect and defend U.S. critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

Prior to CISA, Jen led Firm Resilience at Morgan Stanley and built the Firm’s Cybersecurity Fusion Center. In uniform, she helped establish U.S. Cyber Command and commanded the Army's first cyber operations battalion, deploying multiple times, including to Haiti, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In addition, Jen served twice at the White House and held senior leadership roles at the National Security Agency.

Currently, Jen is a Visiting Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor to Huntress and as Chair of Dataminr’s Corporate Advisory Board. A graduate of West Point and a Rhodes Scholar, Jen is a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star and has received numerous awards, including the George C. Marshall Award in Ethical Leadership and the Champion of Internet Freedom Award.