Holy Hackers

From digital vigilantes and crypto scammers to cyber defenders, the online world is blurring the boundaries between theft, justice, and deception.

• What defines trespassing and theft in a world built on data and code?
• When does hacking shift from protest to crime?
• Is scamming a scammer morally justifiable?
• When does digital “self-defense” cross from ethical to dangerous, or even illegal?

A dynamic discussion on how US and Talmudic law define theft, trespassing, and self-defense in the digital age

Wednesday, June 18, 12-1:35pm ET
Approved for 1.5 CLE credits (including 1-hr ethics)

Featured Speakers:

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

Rabbi Torczyner, a Jewish legal scholar and prolific speaker with over 3,000 lectures on YUTorah, is known for his expertise in contemporary legal and scientific issues. He has led Beit Midrash Zichron Dov in Toronto since 2009 and is currently the Rabbi of Eitz Chayim in West Hempstead, NY. Rabbi Torczyner has been deeply involved in community projects, including Jewish Family Services, JACS, hospital ethics committees, penitentiaries, and KidsPeace. He holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Yeshiva University (1993) and studied for his Master's at NYU while training for the rabbinate at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He has served two terms on the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America and led several of its committees. Rabbi Torczyner is also a regular contributor to the Center for the Jewish Future’s “To Go” holiday publications.

Randy Sabett, Esq.

Randy is a leading attorney specializing in cybersecurity, privacy, and national security law at Cooley LLP, a renowned law firm known for its expertise in technology and cybersecurity issues. With extensive experience in both technical and legal aspects of cybersecurity, he has built a reputation for combining his deep expertise with practical legal advice. Randy advises clients on a wide range of cutting-edge issues including incident response, public key cryptography, active defense, AI, IT licensing, and intellectual property. Prior to his legal career, Randy served as a crypto engineer at the NSA and worked in private industry, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of law and technology. He has represented clients across a diverse array of industries including financial services, healthcare, technology, and critical infrastructure, helping organizations navigate complex cybersecurity and privacy challenges. Randy has handled numerous data breaches and cyber incidents, and counsels clients on how to develop strategies to protect their information and meet privacy and cybersecurity requirements. He is recognized as a leader in the field, earning multiple accolades, including being listed in Chambers USA and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. Randy has also served as a commissioner for the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency and holds two U.S. patents in information security and active noise cancellation. He currently serves on several advisory boards, including for the RSA Conference and SPLICE.

Moderated by:

Ben Rothke CISSP, CISM

Ben is a New York City-based Senior Information Security Manager with Tapad and has over 20 years of industry experience in information systems security and privacy. His areas of expertise are risk management and mitigation, security and privacy regulatory issues, design and implementation of systems security, encryption, cryptography, and security policy development. Ben is also the author of Computer Security - 20 Things Every Employee Should Know and The Definitive Guide to PCI DSS Version 4, and writes book reviews for the RSAC blog, Cybersecurity Canon and Security Management magazine. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, and like all good security pros, has several certifications.