IoT and Beyond Managing Legal Risk in the Age of Acceleration

IoT and Beyond: Managing Legal Risk in the Age of Acceleration

• Monday, September 12, 2022 - Tuesday, September 13, 2022 

The ABA will be holding its 7th Annual Internet of Things National Institute, "IoT and Beyond: Managing Legal Risk in the Age of Acceleration," on September 12^th and 13^th, in a virtual venue. Covington lawyers will speak over the course of the conference on a variety of topics important to companies developing, deploying, and using IoT products and services. Our lawyers will explore the issues and share their insights from both private practice and government service, and include:

• Micaela McMurrough, co-chair of Covington’s Technology and IoT/AI Groups and authority on cybersecurity and data privacy issues, including cybersecurity investigations and cyber incident responses, on the panel “Cybersecurity at a Turning Point.” As the tech community continues to innovate, the computing world is being transformed by billions of connected devices and the widespread adoption of remote work. IoT devices and networks are being compromised to create botnet armies, and attacks on critical infrastructure have intensified. Significant updates in 2022 to the trifecta of leading security frameworks (ISO/IEC, PCI, and NIST) have identified new areas for immediate attention, while also raising important legal questions. Will these expansive frameworks become new standards of care? Will “zero trust architecture,” consumer IoT labeling, and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the cyber toolkit mitigate global threats and strengthen national security? What will cyber in “edge computing” look like? These cyber experts will make sense of the tsunami of changes and highlight the most critical legal implications every lawyer must understand. This panel takes place on Monday, September 12^th, from 12:45-1:45 p.m. ET.
• Nicholas Xenakis, one of Covington’s IoT and AI public policy authorities, draws on his Capitol Hill experience to provide regulatory and legislative guidance on the panel “Tomorrowland Express: Managing the Risks and Opportunities of Smart Communities.” More and more local governments are considering becoming “smart communities,” which use IoT technology (including sensors) along with real-time data and analytics to deliver more efficient and effective services to their citizens. Communities have been using this technology in diverse service areas, including traffic management, energy conservation, safety (including street lighting), and waste and water management. Such technology can improve our lives in important ways, but also raises key legal issues (e.g., the privacy and security of the data that is being collected) as well as questions about the equitable distribution of benefits. This panel will discuss the current status of “smart communities,” future opportunities and challenges, and related legal issues. This panel takes place Monday, September 12^th, from 4:00-5:00 p.m ET.
• Adrian Perry, one of the leaders of Covington’s Metaverse Initiative and Music Industry Co-Chair, with substantial experience in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), metaverse, and broader web3 matters, on the panel “The Commerce of the Metaverse.” Join us for a stimulating fireside chat between Adrian and a leading authority from a major music or sports organization. Together they will discuss the vast opportunities for creation and commerce in metaverse environments, touching on risks and opportunities from a practical and legal perspective. They also will discuss how NFTs may support commerce in the metaverse. This session takes place on Tuesday, September 13th, from 11:00-11:30 a.m. ET.

Covington’s IoT Group is an enthusiastic supporter of the IoT National Institute and has enjoyed contributing to the ABA’s IoT projects over the past few years. Click here for more information about the ABA IoT National Institute conference and for registration details. To learn more about Covington’s global, cross-disciplinary IoT team and to explore our content, we invite you to visit our Internet of Things resource page and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Toolkit.

Please feel free to contact the members of our Internet of Things practice.