McCrary Institute

Making America safer from cyber-attacks through a team of national cyber experts in policy, applied research and education.

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Today we're proud to announce a great new go-to website from the McCrary Institute. Introducing #ThreatBeat, our new one-stop site for news, analysis, alerts and context on the issues shaping cyber policy and infrastructure protection. You'll find the best stories from experienced cyber and national security journalists alongside original commentary, explainers and podcasts created by our McCrary team and informed by the wisdom of our senior fellows. All things cyber. All in one place. Visit https://t.co/c6YvSoXGPJ

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

AI is not your friend.

That’s @geoffreyfowler's warning to parents as AI tools increasingly act like companions, tutors, toys and sources of emotional support for kids.

On our Cyber Focus podcast, Frank Cilluffo speaks with Fowler about @CommonSense's new Youth AI Safety Institute and its effort to build independent safety standards for AI products used by children.

Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/cdEahovbNU

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

We are honored to welcome former Acting Director of the National Security Agency and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command Lt. Gen. Joe Hartman (Ret.) to our advisory board.

He is one of the nation’s most respected cyber and intelligence leaders, bringing unmatched operational credibility and strategic insight forged at the highest levels of government.

As Frank Cilluffo put it, General Hartman “helped shape America’s cyber posture during a period of extraordinary geopolitical and technological change. His experience spanning cyber operations, intelligence, military strategy and emerging technology will be invaluable as the McCrary Institute continues expanding its national leadership across cyber policy, applied research and operational collaboration.”

Read the full announcement: https://t.co/bM3JrPo6O5

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

The AI race may come down to who learns fastest.

On Cyber Focus, @Estonia_in_US Ambassador @kprikk explains why AI literacy, education and national competitiveness are now inseparable — and how Estonia’s AI Leap initiative is preparing students to use AI wisely.

Watch the full episode: https://t.co/nsgCQyMJt3

[Threat Beat @ThreatBeatNews]

Iran hackers said today that they have detected “preparations for the renewed outbreak of military conflict in the coming days�� and would respond to U.S. and Israeli actions with “devastating” widespread attacks targeting energy and IT infrastructure https://t.co/hmnM8IQLOV

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

https://t.co/4QtO5h37Sx

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

AI agents are not just tools that follow instructions. They can behave in ways organizations may not anticipate.

On the Cyber Focus podcast, @Walter_Haydock, founder and CEO of StackAware, joins Frank Cilluffo to discuss what AI accountability should look like; from audit trails and reasoning traces to the question of who owns the risk when autonomous systems act.

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Today we announced the appointment of two stalwarts of the energy sector to lead our industry-led energy advisory board. Jennifer Flandermeyer and KC Carnes, executives at NextEra Energy, Inc. and the Tennessee Valley Authority, respectively, together bring decades of experience to the McCrary Institute’s Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (SERC3) Industry Advisory Board.

They will help guide the McCrary-led SERC3 initiative, which helps energy companies solve the most pressing cybersecurity and operational technology challenges as adversaries increasingly target America’s energy grid. Flandermeyer will serve as the board’s chair and Carnes will join as vice chair.

Read the announcement: https://t.co/iILdUl2KVc

Learn more about SERC3: https://t.co/eaW3AoL8E8

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

.@CrowdStrike's Drew Bagley gives us a needed "wake up call" about the need to secure the AI systems now embedded into our organizations.
"AI has access to things you wouldn't give an intern access to," he warns.
Watch the full episode of Cyber Focus here: https://t.co/xzO3KVPzo0

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

We were proud to welcome Maj Gen Sam Keener, USAF and team to Auburn and Huntsville's Research Park.

At Auburn’s McCrary Institute, our work to protect and defend America’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats isn’t limited to work on Earth. We’re helping protect space systems, optimize space operations through AI research and development, and help develop and train the future space workforce.

Take a look at the article below highlighting the great partnership with U.S. Space Command... More to come!

[Auburn University @AuburnU]

It’s the military mission. It’s the land-grant mission. It’s the #Auburn mission.

As U.S. Space Command prepares to move approximately 1,400 jobs to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville over the next five years, Auburn University welcomed command leadership and reinforced its role as a trusted academic partner in advancing national security through research, innovation and workforce development. #WarEagle
https://t.co/69AvBf3HWj

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Out today: A blog by our Director Frank Cilluffo and senior fellow Christopher Roberti about the regulatory red tape strangling America’s cyber defenders.

The McCrary Institute and the @USChamber have partnered to launch a task force of cyber experts aimed at informing what a federal effort to streamline cyber rules can and should look like.

It's a problem that needs tackling. Read why here:
https://t.co/tgiqCIT5ZO

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Few people have had a close look at how Mythos, Project Glasswing, and Project QuiltWorks may change cyber defense.

@CrowdStrike has and Drew Bagley explains what they’re learning.

On the Cyber Focus podcast, he explains what AI-driven vulnerability discovery means for patching, exploit chains, and defending at machine speed.

https://t.co/uYaKuYbSG0

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Ahead of this week's meeting between President Trump and President Xi, it's worth looking back on the sophisticated cyber campaigns China has launched against the U.S.. Need a quick refresher? Check out this video featuring @MarkCMontgomery and @BillEvanina and other co-chairs of our China task force.
https://t.co/bzlxZEE9HK

[Threat Beat @ThreatBeatNews]

NEW: Pro-Iran hackers claim attack on Spotify today as ‘revenge’ for ayatollah’s killing https://t.co/nbQRkTBVSN

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

New on @ThreatBeatNews: @signalapp's CTO @EhrenKret joined our Cyber Focus podcast and said secure messaging is best understood as a powerful tool against mass surveillance, not a guarantee that every private conversation is protected from targeted spying.
Read the episode recap: https://t.co/4Ue6wHKRER
Or listen to the full episode: https://t.co/QvthRie13i

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Coming up on our next Cyber Focus podcast: @CrowdStrike's Drew Bagley warns that we have entered the "early innings" of an era where frontier models like Anthropic’s Mythos automate the discovery-to-exploit pipeline at machine speed.

As the first pure-play cybersecurity partner in Project Glasswing, CrowdStrike is seeing firsthand how this shift obliterates the time-cycles security teams have relied on for decades. This disruption forces a critical choice: prioritize critical infrastructure now or be outpaced by automated adversaries.

The traditional defense playbook is being rewritten. Hear from one of the leaders on the frontline.

Subscribers to Cyber Focus get early access. You can subscribe on YouTube, Apple or Spotify. https://t.co/BiTxkblekQ

Watch the full preview here: https://t.co/vzamWZu24s

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

@INL Fantastic discussion! Thanks to Zach and the full team for the partnership and great conversation.

[Idaho National Lab @INL]

How do we secure the systems that power our world?

@INL’s Zach Tudor discusses protecting #CriticalInfrastructure, partnering with industry & tackling emerging #cybersecurity risks in the latest episode of @McCraryCyber's Cyber Focus podcast.

Listen now: https://t.co/hJg0PjMdNh

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

https://t.co/6qCPMtsdhk

[McCrary Institute @McCraryCyber]

Most people hear “encrypted” and think “safe.”

@signalapp CTO @EhrenKret makes a sharper point: encryption can stop mass surveillance, but it does not make your phone untouchable.

That distinction matters. Watch the full Cyber Focus podcast conversation.