Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said the U.S. continues to face cyber espionage-related threats from countries such as China, North Korea, Iran and Russia.
Clapper said in his testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Islamic State organization also poses cyber threats to the U.S.
“ISIL has used cyber to its great advantage, not only for recruitment and propaganda, but also to hack and release sensitive information about U.S. military personnel,” he noted.
“The increased use by violent extremists of encrypted and secure Internet and mobile-based technologies enables terrorist actors to ‘go dark’ and serves to undercut intelligence and law enforcement efforts.”
He told the Senate panel that the increasing adoption of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence could bring new challenges to security.
Clapper also cited the involvement of approximately 80 countries in the space domain as well as the efforts of Russia and China to develop anti-satellite missile programs.
He also mentioned other global threats such as the rising number of Sunni violent extremist groups and foreign fighters who travel to Syria and Iraq and the efforts of North Korea, China and Russia to modernize their nuclear missile forces.