Media Appearances

“As 2025 unfolds, the new administration faces its first major national security challenges: preserving a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East and addressing the contentious TikTok legal battle. In this week’s double episode, Elisa first speaks with Brian Egan, former Legal Adviser at the Department of State, to unpack the Gaza ceasefire, the role of international negotiations, and its potential for fostering regional stability. Next, Glenn Gerstell, former General Counsel of the NSA, returns to examine the Supreme Court opinion against TikTok, exploring how ByteDance’s refusal to divest has heightened national security concerns and why the Court’s decision could reshape data privacy laws in the U.S.…”

Glenn joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ to discuss Gerstell’s perspective on the TikTok situation.

Glenn joins CNN’s Jim Sciutto and tech policy analyst Tim Bernard to discuss the arguments presented before the Supreme Court on the pending ban of Chinese-owned TikTok.

Glenn weighs in on the recent Chinese hacks of the U.S. Treasury Department and U.S. telecom companies: “If you think of a burglar breaking into your house and then sort of tracing the steps and dusting it back so you can’t figure out the footprints or fingerprints. Well, they did the cyber equivalent of that in a very, very sophisticated way…”

“TikTok’s growing influence and its connections to national security remain hot topics in Washington. This week, Elisa sits down with Glenn Gerstell, former General Counsel of the National Security Agency, to examine the legal battles surrounding TikTok, including a recent D.C. Circuit Court ruling. Together, they unpack the implications of foreign adversary laws, ByteDance’s defense strategies, and how platforms like TikTok could be weaponized for influence operations—from Romania’s elections to emerging AI developments…”

“…it’s no wonder the United States treats Chinese technology like a game of whack-a-mole, as Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) said last year. When an influential politician gets worried about a particular Chinese company like Temu, TikTok or TP-Link, it can become an urgent priority — but maybe just for a few days. ‘We sense there’s a problem but we don’t know what to do about it,’ said Glenn Gerstell…”

“Glenn joins CNN’s Jim Sciutto to discuss the impact and implications of what the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee calls the ‘worst telecom hack in our nation’s history.’”

“Glenn joins CNBC’s ‘Money Movers’ to discuss Elon Musk’s reported contact with Vladimir Putin, how such contact should be reported to the government, and more…”

“Experts say the services companies like Crowdstrike supply are in the hands of too few providers that are themselves too interconnected…”

“North Korean hackers have carried out a global cyber espionage campaign in an attempt to steal classified military secrets to support Pyongyang’s banned nuclear weapons program, the United States, Britain and South Korea said in a joint memo…What are the risks of this hacking operation and its impact on those who were hacked? How will Washington respond?…”

“At least in terms of the number of people affected, in terms of their personal life, their commercial life, this is probably going to be the single biggest computer incident, in terms of overall effect…”

“Glenn Gerstell, the National Security Agency’s former general counsel, said the global tech outage highlights how ‘we’ve let vulnerabilities creep into the system.’ Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said it has identified and is fixing the ‘defect’ in a software update it deployed to Microsoft Windows customers, one that crashed hundreds of thousands of computers overnight and crippled airlines, hospitals, banks and other businesses around the world. ‘One of those big vulnerabilities is concentration,’ Gerstell said Friday during an appearance on NewsNation’s ‘The Hill.’ ‘This may well turn out to be, in terms of the actual impact on people’s lives, the biggest cyber and computer incident ever…’”

“The Republican revolt in the House, driven by Donald Trump, is putting a critical U.S. surveillance tool, FISA section 702, in jeopardy. Andrea Mitchell is joined by Ryan Nobles and former National Security Agency General Counsel Glenn Gerstell to discuss the path to passing FISA.…”

“AT&T has launched an investigation into the source of a data leak that includes personal information of 73 million current and former customers. Former general counsel at the National Security Agency Glenn Gerstell joins CNN’s Omar Jimenez to discuss…”

“The Biden administration is warning U.S. governors that hackers are targeting water and wastewater systems from coast to coast. The letter, released Tuesday by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, warned all 50 governors they need to be proactive in boosting their digital defenses. Glenn S. Gerstell, former general counsel of the National Security Agency (NSA), joined ‘NewsNation Now’ to discuss…”

Fareed hosts a spirited debate on the House bill that could lead to a US ban on TikTok, with the American Enterprise Institute’s Kori Schake and Glen Gerstell, former general counsel for the National Security Agency. They discuss national-security risks the Chinese-owned app might pose given its many American users.

Fareed talks with Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic & International Studies Glenn Gerstell about the politics and legalities of a potential US ban on TikTok — and why former President Donald Trump reversed his position on the issue.

“Letting your child play with educational apps while you finish chores seems like a win-win. But what if those ‘fun’ & ‘entertaining’ games were secretly collecting your private information? That’s the unsettling truth behind BabyBus, a popular Chinese app developer among kids, as a recent data privacy report highlighted. BabyBus apps have been labeled as among the most ‘data hungry’ in the world. So, how did they skip the ban list after TikTok? And what exactly is at stake when it comes to data collection, especially by foreign companies?…”

Former National Security Agency general counsel Glenn Gerstell is one of dozens of retired intelligence officials trying to protect Section 702. “It’s the single most important operational statute for America’s spy agency,” said Gerstell.

The clock is ticking fast for reauthorization of FISA Section 702. With several proposed bills on the table and lack of consensus within Congress, the fate of this surveillance tool is at this time unclear. This week, host Elisa is joined by Glenn Gerstell and Adam Hickey to discuss the security value of Section 702, its strengths and weaknesses, and how clashing views behind privacy and data collection are shaping the conversation.

Glenn discusses the recent hacks of casinos, the risks to their businesses and their customers, and the state of their cybersecurity defenses.

Glenn discusses the recent hacks of tech firms and the Internet’s vulnerabilities.

NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with former on the security risks of mishandled classified documents and if over-classifying documents puts sensitive intel at greater risk.

Glenn and CNN’s Paula Reid discuss Montana’s controversial ban of TikTok, making it the first state to ban the social media application.

Glenn discusses how the classified documents leak by a National Guardsman happened and how it might damage U.S. national security.

Glenn talks with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart about the charges against the National Guardsman in the leaked classified documents case.

Glenn talks with CNN’s Kate Bolden about the leaked classified documents by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

Glenn talks with CNN’s John Vause about the congressional hearing on TikTok.

Glenn says the congressional hearing “produced lots of fireworks and not a lot of illumination.”

Glenn joins CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” to discuss upcoming congressional testimony from the TikTok CEO.

Glenn discusses the TikTok ban as it affects government-owned devices of state and federal government employees, the prospects for an outright ban of TikTok in the United States, and security considerations all TikTok users should keep in mind.

Glenn talks with Chris Hayes about a Washington Post report on highly sensitive intelligence retrieved by the Department of Justice from former President Trumps’s Florida residence.

Antitrust legislation has had no shortage of attention on Capitol Hill. While the broader policy implications of the two main bills—the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act—have been widely debated, security and related implications have not received as much attention. Specifically, there is a need to focus on the stakes for national security, cybersecurity, privacy and online disinformation. The legislation is not directly related to these topics at every turn, but they still have a serious impact on American security and privacy.

As the deadline approaches for former President Trump to respond to the Department of Justice request to keep reviewing material found at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Glenn discusses what to expect next.

Glenn and Olivia Troye, Homeland Security advisor to former Vice President Pence, discuss U.S. intelligence community concerns amid revelations of classified material found at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.

Glenn joins Michael Zeldin, former Special Assistant at the Department of Justice, to discuss details of and implications from the redacted Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit.

Glenn joins Dayna Perry, former Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the Southern District of New York, to dissect the redacted Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit.

Glenn joins former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rogers to discuss the the search warrant affidavit at the center of the Department of Justice investigation of materials found at former President Trump’s Florida property.

The investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents is just one of several legal probes he is facing. A district attorney in Georgia is investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, there are criminal and civil inquiries into Trump’s business in New York and the investigation into the January 6th insurrection is ongoing. This hour, the latest on Trump’s legal troubles starting with the Mar-a-Lago search and the jeopardy he could be facing. But first, a former NSA lawyer explains how government secrets are classified and how they are supposed to be handled.

Glenn joins former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, to discuss the issues around unsealing the affidavit at the center of the Department of Justice investigation of materials found at Mar-a-Lago.

Glenn clarifies the facts around the Presidential power to declassify documents as it relates to the Department of Justice investigation of materials found at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

As former President Donald Trump’s explanation continues to evolve for why he had classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home coming up on a year and seven months after he left the White House, so too have the questions evolved about his handling of those documents.

Glenn and national security analyst Juliette Kayyem discuss the Department of Justice’s investigation into material retrieved from former President Trump’s Florida property, Mar-a-Lago.

SIIA Senior Vice President Global Public Policy Paul Lekas talks with cyber security expert Glenn Gerstell about the impact of the the American Innovation and Choice online Act (S.2992).

“Glenn Gerstell, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former general counsel of the National Security Agency, was interviewed at a Wall Street Journal event in San Francisco in front of a live audience. The discussion focused on Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine and Russia’s use of disinformation. Highlights of the discussion follow.”

“Russia is ramping up attacks on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure. The US could be next.”

“As the war in Ukraine unfolds, there are questions on whether Russia is planning a cyberspace attack. TaiwanPlus reporter Yin Khvat speaks to Glenn Gerstell at CSIS, the Center for Strategic International Studies — who was also general counsel of the United States’ National Security Agency — to find out more.”

“Last week, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism John Miller joined state and city lawmakers in sounding the alarm, telling New Yorkers to be on the lookout for cyberattacks.”

“The use of information warfare in Ukraine is a harbinger of the future in which conflicts will be shaped by information before a single shot is fired, said Glenn Gerstell, a senior adviser in the international security program at CSIS.”

“One way to gauge what potential Russian attacks could look like is to analyze past events. ‘We know from what Russia has done in the past, what they’re capable of,’ says Glenn Gerstell, former General Counsel of the United States National Security Agency from 2015 to 2020. ‘And they’ve used Ukraine as a little bit of their cyber punching bag, so to speak.’”

“We spoke with Glenn S Gerstell, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the former general counsel of the National Security Agency, about the likelihood of serious cyber warfare – and whether the US is prepared to respond. ‘If we had approached this correctly 20 years ago, we would be largely invulnerable to cyber-attacks,’ he said. ‘But unfortunately that is not the case.‘”

Joining Cyberlaw Podcast host Stewart Baker, and fellow guests Tatyana Bolton and Mark MacCarthey, Glenn Gerstell gives a tour of China’s tech regulatory landscape, and the remarkable decline in the fortunes of consumer tech firms in that country…covers the latest story about security risks and telecom gear from China…explains the charges brought in China against Walmart for breaches of cybersecurity laws…and covers the announcement by Lloyd’s of London that cyber insurance won’t cover cyberattacks attributable to nation-states.

This event was part of a three-part symposium on Security, Privacy, and Innovation: Reshaping Law for the AI Era. The second session of the symposium focused on how AI-enabled technologies are changing the threat landscape and consider safeguards needed to protect constitutional values and the rule of law more broadly. An expert legal panel considered issues such as the adequacy of the Fourth Amendment in the AI era; the unique equities and issues raised by government use of AI in the intelligence, law enforcement, and border security contexts; and growing concerns around algorithmic bias, biometric technologies, deep fakes, malign information, and other AI-enabled cyber activities, and the need for regulation to address these challenges.

The first of a four-part series hosted by the National Security Institute (NSI) examining the national security implications of antitrust challenges at home and abroad. This first event provides an introduction of domestic and international antitrust laws, examine the role of the U.S. tech industry in promoting U.S. national security and economic interests, including providing historical frameworks leading up to the current call by U.S. lawmakers to introduce antitrust lawsuits to protect consumers here in the United States.

Glenn Gerstell discusses the Kaseya ransomware attack and its implications.

Former NSA general counsel Glenn Gerstell joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the wave of recent cyberattacks, and what the U.S. should do to combat them.

NPR’s Michel Martin speaks with Glenn Gerstell, the former general counsel for the National Security Agency, about the recent cyberattack that Microsoft says targeted government agencies.

“National security experts will warn Congress today that the U.S. government isn’t doing enough to fight back against the growing national security threat of information warfare aimed at sowing distrust in the U.S. government at home and abroad…”

“No one had reason to be suspicious, or the legal authority to monitor, as that software update was sent out electronically from SolarWinds to 18,000 organizations, including nine U.S. government agencies…”

“We begin the conversation by getting Glenn’s thoughts on why he believes that online disinformation is a national security threat, why cyber-propelled disinformation is very different from the spread of ‘old-fashioned’ propaganda, and whether the 2020 Election’s disinformation was primarily bolstered by Russia or domestic actors…”

Glenn joins Andrea Mitchell to talk about actions that need to be taken to stop the spread of misinformation online, including about vaccines. “For many, many years anti-vaccination websites have enjoyed a field day on Facebook for quite some time, fueling their falsehoods about the efficacy of vaccines.”

Gerstell talks with CNN New Day’s Christi Paul about election security and disinformation two days before the November 3 general election.