Technology Leadership Standing Panel Session on Hardware-Level Cybersecurity

The National Academy of Public Administration's Technology Leadership Standing Panel will convene a live panel discussion examining the critical importance of hardware-level independent verification and validation (IV&V) for maintaining trust in government systems and critical infrastructure. As supply chain attacks, physical tampering, side-channel exploits, and interface vulnerabilities become increasingly sophisticated, the panel will explore how chip-level security threats pose fundamental risks to national security and public service delivery. 

Panelists will address the urgent need for non-destructive testing capabilities that can identify counterfeits and hidden vulnerabilities rapidly, ensuring that every device deployed in critical networks can be trusted before it becomes operational. The discussion will examine how hardware assurance must become a foundational element of technology governance, not an afterthought. The subsequent report will provide actionable frameworks for implementing hardware-level IV&V standards across federal, state, and local government technology procurement. It will outline specific strategies for international collaboration with Western allies to establish shared verification protocols and trusted supply chain networks. The report will emphasize that hardware assurance is not solely a United States challenge but a collective security imperative for free societies. Recommendations will address how nations can balance the need for rapid technology deployment with the requirement for thorough verification, ensuring that the drive for innovation does not compromise the foundational trust that citizens place in public institutions.

Panelists: 
Bobbi Stempfley (NAPA Fellow) - https://www.uscybersecurity.net/writer/bobbie-stempfley/
Angela Brescia - https://www.constellationr.com/video/disruptv/chip-level-security-how-hackers-ai-risks-space-cybersecurity-threaten-enterprises
David Mussington - https://spp.umd.edu/our-community/faculty-staff/david-mussington
David Bray - https://napawash.org/fellow/7798/david-a-bray