Description
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society seeks a full-time, paid fellow to play a leading role within a new cybersecurity project. The fellow will work closely with a group of experts in the field to explore and document alternatives for cybersecurity policy reform, and to develop and evaluate proposals to rethink the role of government in promoting cybersecurity.
The fellow will join a team that comprises some of the most influential scholars working on Internet policy and cybersecurity. Working collaboratively with Berkman faculty, staff, fellows, and partners, including Principal Investigator Jonathan Zittrain, the fellow will contribute substantively to the project as well as provide managerial support.
The fellow’s primary responsibilities will be to support the project’s research efforts and oversee the generation of outputs. The fellow will cultivate relationships among Harvard faculty and experts in related fields, and engage with stakeholders in broader research and policy circles; plan and execute internal and external meetings and events; develop workplans and timelines; produce internal updates and reports; contribute to project publications; coordinate public-facing communications; supervise research assistants; and provide additional support as needed.
About the Cybersecurity Project
Coordinated responses and comprehensive strategies to deal with mounting cybersecurity challenges have been understandably slow to develop. The Internet environment is a distinctly shared space: it comprises many interdependencies among the public and private sectors. While a high proportion of Internet infrastructure is private, and government has carved out a central role in cybersecurity, action taken by government and corporate actors has been highly fragmented. Further complicating matters, trust in government to address concerns around cybersecurity is at a low point, and the level of engagement by civil society groups and academia has been lacking.
We will engage in a clean-slate evaluation of the set of responsibilities related to foreign intelligence gathering, which has expanded to include the exploitation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. In this project, we aim to identify concrete steps to clarify roles for the intelligence community, the corporate sector, academics, non-profits, and individuals; to examine how the cybersecurity risks are conceptualized and assessed; and to rebuild legitimacy and public support for cross-sectorial cybersecurity policies and practices.
We wish to develop a common language for discussing these issues across different sectors and disciplines. The core team will iterate quickly to develop categories and frameworks that will then focus our attention, helping us to assess and evaluate alternative approaches to understanding and ameliorating problems in this space.
The research team will:
-- initiate and host a core group of 2-3 senior-level cybersecurity and public/private partnership experts to explore, evaluate, and facilitate the creation of policy reform alternatives;
-- hold a series of workshops that convene leading experts in the field drawing on different disciplines;
-- identify key research and knowledge gaps, including gaps in risk assessment of cybersecurity threats;
-- include a short-term responsiveness to breaking news and claims;
-- develop and evaluate a set of proposals to reformulate the roles and responsibilities of the intelligence community, the corporate sector, academia, non-profits, and wholly unincorporated groups in cybersecurity.
The position is an excellent opportunity for an individual who wishes to expand his or her knowledge and capacity in the field of cybersecurity and Internet policy, and who wishes to pursue his or her own scholarship in this area while contributing to the work of the Berkman Center. The fellow will be part of the intellectual community at Berkman, which includes a range of people working on issues relate to the Internet and society committed to understanding and advancing the public interest.
Basic Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree — preferably in a relevant field of study such as law, technology, or public policy — is required.
Additional Qualifications
Previous experience working in the field is preferred but not required.
Excellent writing and verbal skills, sound judgment, exceptional ethical standards, and proven ability in interpersonal communication, supervision, and team building are essential. He or she must be proactive and accountable, and be equipped to manage multiple commitments, competing deadlines, and shifting priorities. Flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to multitask while in a team environment are critical.
Previous work experience managing complex projects and people is strongly preferred. The fellow must be capable of orchestrating the many goals of the project, including communications, research, networking, and community building. A successful candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter to drive the ambitious objectives of the project.
About Us
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society is a research center founded to explore cyberspace, share in its study, and help pioneer its development. We represent a network of faculty, students, fellows, entrepreneurs, lawyers, and virtual architects working to identify and engage with the challenges and opportunities of cyberspace, and work with researchers, computer scientists, activists, librarians, musicians, and more from all corners of the university and beyond to advance cutting edge research. For more information on who we are and what we do, please visit http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/.
Commitment to Diversity
The work and well-being of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University are strengthened profoundly by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek and welcome applications from all applicants, including people of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, and persons with disabilities, as well as applications from researchers and practitioners from across the spectrum of disciplines and methods.
Additional Information
The Cybersecurity fellow will begin ASAP. This is a term appointment currently expected to extend through December 31, 2015, subject to funding and departmental need. We do not have the ability to provide authorization to work in the U.S. All offers to be made by HLS Human Resources.
Please note that applications for this fellowship must be submitted through the Harvard Human Resources website, and will not be collected directly through the Berkman Center. We will review applications for the Cybersecurity fellowship on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
For more information: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/getinvolved/fellowships/cybersecurity
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