Ex NSA chief Paul Nakasone warns Defcon that neutrality in tech is fading
At Defcon in Las Vegas on Friday, former US National Security Agency and Cyber Command chief Paul Nakasonewarned that the technology world is entering a period where staying neutral will be increasingly difficult. In a wide ranging onstage conversation with Defcon founder Jeff Moss, he pointed to the collision of politics, artificial intelligence and cybercrime, and urged closer partnerships between government and industry.
His remarks capped a week that laid bare the turbulence surrounding US cyber policy. At the companion Black Hat conference, senior officials said the US cybersecurity apparatus is pressing on despite deep staffing cuts. “We are not retreating, we are advancing in a new direction,” CISA chief information officer Robert Costello told a critical infrastructure panel, a line that captured the mood of improvisation and urgency.
Recent political moves in Washington formed the backdrop. In April, President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of former CISA director Chris Krebs, a sharp break with recent precedent. Late last month, the US Army rescinded a West Point academic appointment for former CISA director Jen Easterly, a decision that sparked debate inside the national security community.
Nakasone, who now sits on OpenAI’s board, highlighted how the AI race is shaping geopolitics. He referenced January’s “Stargate” announcement at the White House, a 500 billion dollars AI infrastructure push unveiled alongside Larry Ellison, Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman, and contrasted it with rapid progress from rivals abroad. The message was clear. AI is no longer a neutral platform, it is a strategic battleground.
He also drew attention to a culture and age gap that complicates cooperation. Silicon Valley rooms skew young, Washington decision tables skew older. For Nakasone, that mismatch slows understanding and hampers the speed of collective response. The fix, he argued, is regular contact, shared training and faster information exchange between public and private teams.
On threats, his assessment was blunt. Ransomware remains one of the most damaging problems facing critical services and businesses, and the United States is not making enough progress in disrupting it. He called for fresh thinking about how to deter, disrupt and punish organised criminal groups that operate across borders and exploit gaps in jurisdiction.
Moss pressed on a broader question that is troubling many in the security community. With conflicts and political polarisation intensifying, can anyone in tech remain neutral. Nakasone suggested the next two years will test that idea. By the time Defcon reconvenes in 2026, he said, the industry may find neutrality far harder to claim.
For practitioners, the takeaway from Las Vegas was pragmatic. Expect sharper political crosswinds, a faster AI tempo and persistent ransomware risk. Invest in partnerships, share indicators quickly and plan for cross border friction. The centre of gravity in cyber is shifting, and the industry, Nakasone argued, will need to shift with it.
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