Defense Writers Group
12 April 2023
Moderator: Just to remind everyone of the ground rules which you know, starting at this minute the conversation is on the record, but there is no rebroadcast of audio or video of today’s discussion. I’ll ask the first question and then Ryan Lovelace of the Washington Times is here. He’ll ask, then we’ll go around the table and we’ll give Ambassador Fick a couple of minutes before 9:00 o’clock for any wrap-up comments. He does have an absolute hard stop a couple of minutes before 9 and since we’re starting on time we’ll be able to do that.
He’s truly a man who needs no introduction, but I’ll do it anyway. Nathaniel C. Fick is the State Department’s very first Ambassador at Large for Cybersecurity. If you read his bio, he served with distinction as a Marine Corps officer in both Iraq and Afghanistan and his book One Bullet Away is truly one of the best memoirs of the forever wars. If you want to read a great book that will take you there, what it felt like, I highly recommend that.
He was a founding father at the think tank CNAS. In full disclosure, I was a writing fellow there, so I’m also biased in that regard. He founded a cybersecurity firm. As I mentioned earlier, he hands out donuts to parents at his alma mater’s graduation.
Mr. Ambassador, thank you for being here. We are honored to have you.
Ambassador Fick: It’s a pleasure, Thom.
