Cybersecurity in the Age of Terrorism

Stewart Baker's career has spanned national security and law. He served as General Counsel of the National Security Agency, Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security, and drafter of a report reforming the intelligence community after the Iraq War. His legal practice focuses on cyber security, CFIUS, export controls, government procurement, and immigration and regulation of international travel.

At Homeland Security, Stewart created and staffed the 250-person DHS Policy Directorate. He was responsible for policy analysis across the Department, as well as for the Department's international affairs, strategic planning and relationships with law enforcement and public advisory committees. From 2006-2009, Stewart led successful negotiations with European and Middle Eastern governments over travel data, privacy, visa waiver and related issues. In addition, he led the Department's policy effort to reform federal immigration laws, and transformed the Department's role in CFIUS, helping to drive the first rewrite of the CFIUS law and regulations in a generation.

When not in government, Stewart manages one of the nation's premier technology law practices. Described by The Washington Post as "one of the most techno-literate lawyers around," Stewart's practice covers national security, electronic surveillance, law enforcement, export control encryption, and related technology issues. He has been a key advisor on US export controls and on foreign import controls on technology. In 2010 Stewart's policy memoir, Skating On Stilts: Why We Aren't Stopping Tomorrow's Terrorism, was published by Hoover Press. He continues to comment on these topics at Lawfare.com and the Volokh Conspiracy, and he hosts Steptoe's Cyberlaw Podcast.

Stewart's practice also includes issues relating to government regulation of international trade in high-technology products, and advice and practice under the antidumping and countervailing duty laws of United States, European Union, Canada, and Australia. He also counsels clients on issues involving foreign sovereign immunity, and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Stemming from his role at DHS, Stewart has a deep background in the international implications of US security policy, from the disputes over US collection of data from international businesses to the US statutory command that all containers being shipped to the US be scanned before leaving foreign ports.