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USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Ukraine
Doug White
5105 Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering (IRB)
Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 12:30-1:30 pm
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Abstract
At reading group tomorrow, 3/25, we have a guest speaker from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Doug White, who will give a talk on the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Ukraine project. Hope to see you there at 12:30pm in IRB 5105 or on Zoom! If you want lunch, please fill out this form before 9:30am tomorrow.
 
Abstract: Doug will provide an overview of the work performed by the US government under the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Ukraine project from 2020-2025. He will review the project’s objectives and achievements as well as challenges faced operating in wartime to strengthen Ukraine’s cybersecurity resilience by modernizing government cyber defenses, conducting national cybersecurity exercises, assessing cybersecurity maturity of critical infrastructure operators, and updating infosec curricula at technical universities. Time permitting, he will go into some detail on the TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) of threat groups APT 28 and APT 29 in some of their more destructive attacks.
Bio

Douglas White is a cybersecurity leader with extensive experience in strengthening critical infrastructure resilience and driving cyber policy innovation. As Technical Director at DAI Global Inc., he has played a pivotal role in Ukraine’s cybersecurity transformation through the USAID Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Activity since 2021. In 2018 he spearheaded the US Department of State’s inaugural cybersecurity capacity building programming in Ukraine, designing and launching lines of effort in policy and legislation development, national preparedness exercises, pen testing, bug bounties, and cybersecurity curriculum development in universities. His work focuses on deploying programming to foster a proactive cybersecurity environment, bridging policy, workforce, and market gaps that leave critical systems vulnerable to cyber threats.

Douglas has been a panelist at the RSA Conference and has delivered cybersecurity briefings at the request of the U.S. State Department, focusing on Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. He has spoken at international forums, including the International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon), and has served as an advisor to the Tallinn Mechanism, contributing to transatlantic cybersecurity strategy and resilience discussions. With over two decades of experience, he has held leadership positions across both public and private sectors, including as Senior Program Manager of Cybersecurity at CRDF Global and as a leader in World Bank customs modernization initiatives. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

Beyond cybersecurity, Douglas is deeply committed to community well-being. In 2023, he founded the Polina White Memorial Foundation, dedicated to mental health advocacy and substance abuse recovery for women, in honor of his daughter. His expertise in cybersecurity, policy development, and international collaboration, combined with his humanitarian focus, underscores his dedication to both global security and societal resilience.

This talk is organized by Wentao Guo