Maretta Morovitz — MITRE Engage Lead, Innovator in Cyber Deception, and Dance Community Builder Maretta Morovitz is the Engage Lead at MITRE, where she simplifies the planning of adversary engagement for cyber defenders. Maretta likens her cyber defense work to the movie Home Alone, setting a series of traps for the cyber adversary akin to those of Kevin McCallister. Maretta began her career at MITRE with an internship, where she met her mentor, Dr. Stan Barr, the MITRE Engage chief scientist: “He was always there to pull me out if I was floundering and drowning, but he gave me the space I needed to make mistakes, learn from them, and figure out how to not make them again.” Despite having a computer scientist father, Maretta discovered her passion for the industry only in college. After observing a friend who was a computer science major, she found that maybe her dad (and computer science) were cooler than she had initially thought. Maretta also shares on the podcast the importance of her Boston roots and her unique connection to John and Abigail Adams. To kick off the show, Jack Clabby from Carlton Fields, P.A., and Kayley Melton from KnowBe4 discuss Kenya’s efforts to improve national cybersecurity to protect its fast-growing digital economy. They also cover how the United States and the private sector are contributing to the Kenyan model for digital transformation in Africa, particularly through a dynamic digital ecosystem known as the ‘Silicon Savannah.’
Summary
Kenya's efforts to enhance its cybersecurity and technological progress through partnerships with the US and major tech companies. The focus is on responsible state behavior in cyberspace and addressing mobile app security. The role of public-private partnerships in promoting a robust digital economy and infrastructure. The conversation then transitions to an interview with Maretta Morovitz, a cybersecurity expert at MITRE, discussing her career path, the importance of mentorship, and the impact of ADHD on her work. The discussion also covers MITRE Engage, which focuses on cyber denial, deception, and adversary engagement, and highlights the use of simple yet effective techniques like decoy credentials. In this conversation, Maretta Morovitz discusses the importance of thinking creatively and outside the box when it comes to cybersecurity solutions, especially for organizations with limited budgets. She emphasizes the need for simplicity and proactive measures in cybersecurity. Maretta also highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in the field, involving professionals from various backgrounds such as human behavioral scientists and graphic designers. She shares a successful collaboration between MITRE and HSBC in the field of deception operations. Maretta also talks about her passion for dance and her unique talent of reciting the alphabet backwards.
Keywords
Kenya, cybersecurity, technological progress, partnerships, responsible state behavior, mobile app security, public-private partnerships, digital economy, infrastructure, interview, Maretta Morovitz, career path, mentorship, ADHD, MITRE Engage, cyber denial, deception, adversary engagement, decoy credentials, cybersecurity, low budget solutions, simplicity, proactive measures, interdisciplinary collaboration, deception operations, dance, talent
Takeaways
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 Kenya's Cybersecurity Partnerships
03:24 Addressing Mobile App Security
07:13 Interview with Maretta Morovitz
11:35 Cyber Deception and Adversary Engagement
29:12 The Importance of Simplicity and Proactive Measures
30:07 Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Cybersecurity
31:06 Successful Collaboration in Deception Operations
34:44 Bringing Unique Perspectives and Skills to Cybersecurity
Follow Maretta Morovitz on LinkedIn: Maretta Morovitz
Follow MITRE on Twitter: @MITREcorp
Learn more about MITRE Engage: MITRE Engage