About this episode
Rob Knake discusses his influential role in shaping modern cybersecurity policy and his experiences in public service.
Rob Knake's fingerprints are all over modern cyber policy. As White House Director for Cybersecurity Policy, he helped craft the nation’s most significant cybersecurity strategy in nearly two decades and guided the response to major national cyber incidents. He’s advised presidents, shaped global cyber norms, co-authored two influential books on cyber conflict, and served as a senior fellow at Harvard and the Council on Foreign Relations.Chapters:00:00 - Intro03:15 - Growing Up with New Deal Democrats06:30 - "To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required."10:45 - Choosing Public Service Over Corporate Law14:20 - Education at Connecticut College18:30 - Democracy, Capitalism & Fukuyama's End of History22:10 - Coast Guard Internship & Steve Flynn's Influence27:45 - Richard Clarke & Early Cyber Policy Work32:20 - The Emergence of Cyber as a National Security Threat36:40 - From Good Harbor Consulting to Government Service40:15 - Working on Counterterrorism at DHS44:30 - The Bin Laden Raid Era & Shifting to Cyber48:20 - Joining the Obama White House NSC52:45 - Life as an NSC Staffer - Long Hours & Mission56:30 - Stuxnet & Understanding Real-World Cyber Threats01:00:15…
People in this episode
Guest: Rob Knake
Topics covered
- cybersecurity
- public service
- national security
- cyber policy
- government
- technology
Keywords
- cybersecurity policy
- national security
- cyber threats
- public service
- cyber legislation
- government service
- cyber norms
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: White House, Harvard, Council on Foreign Relations, DHS, NIST
More episodes of Where Warlocks Stay Up Late
- Episode 10: Cris Thomas aka Space Rogue · March 3, 2026 · 2h 31m
- Episode 8: Mohammed Bagha aka "MB" · October 7, 2025 · 1h 56m
- Episode 7: David Jacoby aka pewp · August 22, 2025 · 1h 54m
- Episode 6: Jason Snitker aka Parmaster · August 3, 2025 · 1h 50m
- Episode 5: Terry Rankhorn Part 2 · July 16, 2025 · 2h 1m
- Episode 5: Terry Rankhorn Part 1 · July 7, 2025 · 1h 53m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Where Warlocks Stay Up Late podcast page.