National Security Officials Testify – Threats to US
By: Chris Hanrahan
Watching the meeting between the heads of the Intelligence Community and Members of Congress it was obvious that there was much more to be said in closed session. Whether we want to cover the relevant stories right now or wait until later to discuss matters of National Security, it’s important that we recognize this analysis of threats for what it really is – a chance to keep our Country safe – granting liberty and justice for all. The work that the Intelligence Community is doing goes into effect worldwide, every day. There is no corner of the earth that is unaffected by its goals and its activities. Many of the actions of the agencies represented at the hearing are classified, and the scale of the Human Resources in effect at this time, is widespread.
We have to stay one step ahead of the enemy at all times, and many of the activities discussed within the open hearing were germane to establishing more mission-ready talent to work within the umbrella of the Intelligence Community. Though the hearing was not meant in any way to be a popularity pitch, or to acquire new Cyber talent, there were a few moments taken to relay the scale of the opportunity in front of the Country now. We have to continue building to remain strong and effective in all endeavors related to National Security. The world is moving too fast for there to be any measure of negligence, or any vulnerability within the operations of this critical area of Government.
The appeal to the public writ large, during these hearings, was to inform as to some of the identities of the most dangerous or damaging Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) who operate on our shores and abroad. Countries that made the threat list, which was shared in the open setting within their combined testimony, included China and Russia.
Do we know the nature of the enemy? No, we don’t. The IC knows more than the public. It is the role of Congress to make available an appropriate level of transparency, to the public. The demand for this type of transparency activity has never been higher, and needs to be empowered by the potential of today’s technology. In short, we can see that the IC is just getting started on their efforts to include the public in their mission. For now, we can see that each of the Agencies have their role. And they can all tell us a little about what those roles are. But for now, that’s about it.