Cache Me If You Can

CSIS
CSIS
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Government
  • Biweekly

In Cache Me If You Can, hosts Matt Pearl and Lauryn Williams examine the technologies and policies shaping the future and U.S. innovation leadership.

  1. 5d ago

    In Tech We Trust?: Navigating Antitrust Policy in a Mercantilist World, Part One

    Does breaking up big companies make America more competitive—or undermine its national security? On this episode of Cache Me If You Can, hosts Matt Pearl and Lauryn Williams sit down with USC law professor Jonathan Barnett to challenge conventional thinking on antitrust and national security. From the breakup of AT&T to defense industry consolidation and Ukraine's drone innovation, they explore when bigger companies strengthen American security, when smaller competitors drive innovation, and whether antitrust law is the right tool for navigating great-power competition.

  2. Oct 14

    Hacking Back: The Private Sector’s Expanding Role in U.S. Cyber Operations

    In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine the expanding role of private companies in U.S. offensive cyber operations and what recent policy developments reveal about the future of public-private cooperation in cyberspace. For decades, offensive cyber operations have largely remained the responsibility of government agencies. However, a new White House memorandum exploring how vetted private companies could conduct cyber surveillance and disruption operations against foreign cybercriminal organizations raises important questions about the boundaries between government authority, private-sector capabilities, and national security. Our guests, Emily Harding, Vice President of the Defense and Security Department and Director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program at CSIS, and Dr. Nikita Shah, Senior Fellow with the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program at CSIS, bring extensive experience in intelligence, national security, and cyber policy. Together, they unpack what the administration's new approach could mean for the future of offensive cyber operations and the evolving relationship between government and industry.

  3. Oct 2

    Trump, Xi, and the New U.S.-China Bargain

    In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine the state of U.S.-China relations following President Trump and President Xi Jinping’s latest summit in Washington. Against a backdrop of intensifying technological competition, economic tensions, and geopolitical uncertainty, the two leaders sought to stabilize the relationship while pursuing a more reciprocal framework for engagement.   Our guest, Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is a leading expert on China’s economy, industrial policy, and U.S.-China relations. Drawing on his extensive research on Beijing’s economic strategy and approach to global governance, Scott breaks down what the summit accomplished and what the agreements mean for the broader trajectory of the relationship.   We discuss tariffs and trade, rare earths and critical mineral supply chains, competition over advanced technologies, and the prospects for cooperation on artificial intelligence. We also explore how Taiwan and ongoing global conflicts shape U.S.-China diplomacy, what both leaders hoped to gain from the meeting, and how to distinguish meaningful progress from diplomatic theater.

  4. Sep 2

    The Future of Intelligence: Cyber, AI, and the Human Edge

    In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore how cyber threats, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies are reshaping the world of intelligence. As the speed and scale of technological change accelerate, intelligence professionals face a growing challenge: how to take advantage of new tools without losing the judgment, tradecraft, and collaboration that remain essential to national security. Our guest, retired Brigadier General Melissa Stone, is a former senior Air Force intelligence leader whose career spans signals intelligence, cyber intelligence, information operations, analysis, training, and command. She previously commanded the 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing and served as deputy commander of the Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), placing her at the intersection of intelligence production, cyber operations, workforce development, and emerging technology.

  5. Aug 19

    Making AI Work for Cyber Defenders

    In this episode of Cache Me If You Can, we explore how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the balance between cyber attackers and defenders. As increasingly capable AI models discover vulnerabilities, navigate complex systems, and accelerate sophisticated cyber operations, organizations face a critical question: can defenders harness these same capabilities quickly and safely enough to gain the advantage? Our guest, Carol Kuntz, adjunct fellow with the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program and former senior Department of Defense official, joins us to discuss Making AI Work for Cyber Defenders: A Strategy for Strengthening U.S. Cybersecurity. Drawing on the report, Kuntz explains why powerful AI models alone are not enough—and why secure infrastructure, effective workflows, human oversight, and the ability to translate vulnerability discoveries into deployable fixes are essential to realizing AI’s defensive potential. The conversation examines what AI-enabled cyber defense looks like in practice, from persistent monitoring and vulnerability discovery to patching and incident response. We discuss the challenges of getting defensive tools to small businesses, open-source maintainers, and critical infrastructure operators; emerging federal efforts to coordinate vulnerability remediation; and how policymakers and developers can govern increasingly powerful frontier AI capabilities without undermining legitimate cybersecurity research or slowing innovation.

  6. Aug 17 ·  Bonus

    The Cyber Threat to U.S. Water Infrastructure

    On this special edition episode, Lauryn Williams joins Will Todman on the State of Play podcast for a crossover episode of Cache Me If You Can. Cyberattacks targeting water and wastewater utilities have been reported in at least a dozen U.S. states since late July. While there has been no widespread contamination or immediate threat to public drinking water, the attacks appear serious and potentially coordinated. Alongside Nikita Shah, Caitlin Welsh, and Will Todman, Lauryn discusses why U.S. critical infrastructure remains vulnerable, how the United States should respond, and whether there is enough evidence to attribute the attacks to Iran.

  7. Aug 5

    The Next Industrial Revolution: Advanced Manufacturing, National Security, and Shared Prosperity

    In this episode of Cache Me If You Can, we explore why advanced manufacturing has become a cornerstone of U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. As strategic competition with China intensifies and supply chain vulnerabilities become increasingly apparent, the United States faces difficult questions about what it will take to rebuild its industrial base for the twenty-first century. Our guest, Liz Reynolds, Professor of the Practice at MIT and former Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development at the National Economic Council, joins us to discuss Priority Technologies: Ensuring U.S. Security and Shared Prosperity, a new volume examining the technologies that will shape America's future. Drawing from her chapter on advanced manufacturing, Reynolds explains why innovation alone is not enough and why manufacturing capacity, skilled workers, resilient supply chains, and strong institutions all play essential roles in sustaining technological leadership. The conversation examines whether industrial policy can simultaneously strengthen national security and create broadly shared economic opportunity in an era of increasing automation. We discuss the lessons of the CHIPS and Science Act, the evolving relationship between advanced manufacturing and semiconductors, and what success should look like as the United States seeks to rebuild strategically important industries.

  8. Jun 17

    Building Cyber Resilience: The Future of U.S.–ROK Cyber Cooperation

    In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore one of the most consequential cyber alliances in the Indo-Pacific: cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Korea. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, from state-sponsored operations and ransomware to cryptocurrency theft and attacks on critical infrastructure, both countries are grappling with how to strengthen resilience and move beyond coordination toward deeper operational collaboration. Our guests, Dr. Jim Lewis of CSIS and researchers Sunha Bae and Joohui Park of South Korea's National Security Research Institute (NSR), draw on their expertise in cyber strategy, international law, and critical infrastructure security to examine the evolving threat landscape and the future of allied cyber cooperation. Together, they unpack how North Korea's cyber activities have evolved, the growing challenge of cryptocurrency-enabled illicit finance, and the role cyber operations play in Pyongyang's broader national strategy. We discuss South Korea's emerging approach to active cyber defense, lessons from U.S. concepts such as defend forward and persistent engagement, and the legal and policy considerations that accompany more proactive cyber operations. The conversation also explores how the U.S.–ROK alliance can operationalize cyber cooperation, coordinate responses to shared threats, and work with regional partners to build a more resilient and secure digital environment across the Indo-Pacific.

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About

In Cache Me If You Can, hosts Matt Pearl and Lauryn Williams examine the technologies and policies shaping the future and U.S. innovation leadership.

Information

  • Channel
    CSIS
  • Creator
    Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Show Website
    Cache Me If You Can

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