As Russia launched concerted military action against Ukraine overnight, the threat of cyberattacks against Ukraine’s Western allies including the United States becomes more acute. Attorneys can play a crucial role in defining private as well as public sector preparedness for potential future cyber warfare. We spoke with O’Melveny & Myers counsel John Dermody about how to define and tackle U.S. stakeholders’ vulnerabilities. He previously served as deputy legal adviser at the National Security Council and as an official at the Department of Homeland Security as well as the Department of Defense.

The National Law Journal: The military conflict in the Ukraine is lending cyber warfare preparedness a new kind of urgency. From a national security standpoint, where do you see vulnerabilities in the private and government sector?