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John Webster Leslie

Web Leslie advises clients on a broad range of risks, challenges, and opportunities at the intersection of technology and security, including on matters of cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, national security, and data privacy.

As a part of his investigations practice, Web helps clients navigate complex civil and criminal investigations related to cyber and national security, including under the False Claims Act, FTC Act, and state equivalents. His practice also includes helping clients manage internal investigations related to cyber compliance and insider threat risks. Web also routinely advises clients throughout all stages of incident response and breach notification arising from nation-state activity, sophisticated criminal threat actors, and other cyber threats.

On compliance matters, Web assists clients across numerous industries, including in healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, technology, transportation, manufacturing, food and beverage, and insurance, to address the ever-expanding regulatory landscape. He advises on various issues including: statutory and contractual security requirements, cybersecurity guidance and best practices, cyber maturity assessments, incident preparedness, critical infrastructure risks, third-party risk management, and international cyber regulations, among others. Web’s regulatory practice also includes public policy advocacy related to cyber regulation and national security policy.

In addition to his regular practice, Web counsels pro bono clients on technology, immigration, and criminal law matters.

Web previously served in government in different roles at the Department of Homeland Security, including at the National Protection and Programs Directorate—known today as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—where he specialized in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, public-private partnerships, and interagency cyber operations. He also served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

On January 29, 2024, the Department of Commerce (“Department”) published a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) to require providers and foreign resellers of U.S. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (“IaaS”) products to (i) verify the identity of their foreign customers and (ii) notify the Department when a foreign person transacts with that provider or reseller to train a large artificial intelligence (“AI”) model with potential capabilities that could be used in malicious cyber-enabled activity. The proposed rule also contemplates that the Department may impose special measures to be undertaken by U.S. IaaS providers to deter foreign malicious cyber actors’ use of U.S. IaaS products.  The accompanying request for comments has a deadline of April 29, 2024.Continue Reading Department of Commerce Issues Proposed Rule to Regulate Infrastructure-as-a-Service Providers and Resellers