Cache Me If You Can

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.