Your offices hear from industry, academia, and think tanks. Hackers on the Hill brings a voice that's harder to find: the people who explore new technology firsthand, spot risks early, and have no commercial agenda.

Early signal — researchers working with technology before it scales, catching issues before they become crises
Ground truth — real-world findings from the people who discovered remotely exploitable insulin pumps, vehicle braking flaws, and exposed water treatment systems
No agenda — all-volunteer, no sales, no lobbying, no talking points

Relevant to offices working on: Healthcare Critical Infrastructure AI Defense Consumer Protection Emergency Management

Since 2017

Building trusted researcher–policymaker relationships

Global since 2024

Capitol Hill, White House, Ottawa, London, Colorado

Hundreds

of researchers engaged across dozens of policy briefings

8+ topics

AI, ransomware, critical infrastructure, IoT, encryption, supply chain, medical devices, vulnerability disclosure

Wait… Hackers?

In the security community, a hacker is someone driven to understand how things work — and to make them work better. Think of the engineer who reports cracks in the bridge their family drives across. Creativity, curiosity, and concern for others are cornerstones of this community.

These are the people who found that insulin pumps could be remotely manipulated, that vehicle braking systems could be controlled through the entertainment console, and that water treatment systems were exposed to the open internet. In each case, they disclosed what they found in good faith so it could be fixed.

Academics study these problems, think tanks write about them, and industry sells solutions. Hackers get their hands on technology early, spot issues early, and prototype fixes. They are leading indicators that give savvy policymakers a head start.¹

“Good policy is shaped by people who see consequences firsthand — not just on paper.”

Why this matters for your office

Security researchers see the actual attack surface. They know which systems are fragile, where the real risks are, and what's already being exploited. That practical intelligence is the difference between legislation that looks good on paper and legislation that actually works.

This approach already works. Researcher–policymaker collaboration has shaped real policy outcomes:

Policy outcome	Where	Researcher role
PATCH Act	US	Findings on medical device flaws built the case for FDA cybersecurity authority
California SB-327	California	Demonstrations of IoT risks informed the first state law requiring connected device security
UK CoP → ETSI EN 303 645	UK / Global	Community input shaped a voluntary code that became the global baseline for IoT security
National Cybersecurity Strategy	US	Researchers joined White House working sessions shaping vulnerability disclosure policy

Work with us

Hackers on the Hill isn't a one-day event — it's the start of a relationship.

1

You share the issue — the topic, timing, and what your office needs

2

We connect you — with researchers who have deep, hands-on expertise in that area

3

We stay engaged — follow-up conversations, technical review of draft legislation, and ongoing access

Not a trade association. Not a lobby. Not a vendor briefing.

hackersonthehill.org · @HillHackers · Run by I Am The Cavalry (iamthecavalry.org)

“The Cavalry isn't coming. It falls to us. Safer. Sooner. Together.”