Season 2, Episode 6: Cyber Law, Cybersecurity, and Whistleblowers. A Conversation with Ben Wright

Cyber law expert, attorney, and SANS instructor, Ben Wright joins hosts Jerich Beason & Whitney McCollum to discuss a variety of topics, including Ben’s career path into cyber law and teaching, the pros and cons of having a cyber whistleblower, and the importance of the investigation and knowledge of the impacted company. We talked about the need for cyber security education for all lawyers, how cyber risk should be foundational to legal training and education, and how that could be implemented. 
 
As a lawyer working in the field for decades, Ben explores with us why knowledge of cyber risk is important for lawyers not only to protect client data, but also for advising clients? Who gets access to your firm’s information systems? What are the laws and implications around those systems? Should CLE credits on cyber topics be required?  
 
Ben also offers his tips on managing the possibility of cyber whistleblowers within an enterprise and having a process in place to effectively manage internal reporting of concerns. Do limited resources and shortage of talent contribute to whistleblowing? What affect does the social and digital media landscape have on the motivations of whistleblowers?  Learn all this and more in today’s episode. 
 

Links from this show: 

Bloomberg Law "Analysis: Mandatory Cybersecurity CLE Credits – At a Bar Near You” https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bloomberg-law-analysis/analysis-mandatory-cybersecurity-cle-credits-at-a-bar-near-you   

Wall Street Journal “Cybersecurity Whistleblowers are Growing Corporate Challenge” https://www.wsj.com/articles/cybersecurity-whistleblowers-are-growing-corporate-challenge-1526403513?tesla=y   

Note: “The statements of the guest speakers and hosts in this podcast should not be construed as legal advice.  They represent their views only and not those of Epiq or their respective employers.” 

BIOGRAPHY 

Attorney Benjamin Wright helps others navigate the law of technology.  He teaches the class Law of Data Security and Investigations for SANS Institute, the premier authority for training information security professionals and digital forensics experts. That 5-day boot camp is unique in the world. It trains professionals on how to manage cyber law risk across the globe. 

Wright advises clients -- in the US and throughout the world -- on privacy, e-discovery, data breaches, online contracting, technology contracts, active defense, forensic investigations, and cyber security policies. 

Ben helps tech professional firms write engagement contracts, and otherwise manage their legal liability and right to be paid. Such firms include QSAs, auditors, penetration testers, and forensic investigators. 

Ben is spotlighted in the book "The Devil Inside the Beltway" for his uncommonly insightful advice to LabMD in its now famous information security law dispute. 

Wright is the author of the book "The Law of Electronic Commerce" (Wolters Kluwer). 

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