A Borderless Battle

Our adversaries are turning digital breakthroughs into digital bombs. From Russia and Chinese hacking to brand-name breaches, the cyber rivals of the United States are overtaking our defenses. Nation-states are using cyber tools to steal our country's secrets and intellectual property. Hackers snatch our financial data and lock down access to our health care records and other sensitive information. Terrorists are abusing encryption and social media to crowd-source the murder of innocent people. Cyber attacks are becoming incredibly personal, and the phones in our pockets are now the battle space. Our most private information is at stake. The Department of Justice indicted two Russian spies for their involvement in the hack of at least 500 million email accounts at Yahoo. In 2015, Chinese hackers stole 20 million security clearances in a breach of the U.S. Government's Office of Personnel Management. Recently, an alleged attack of the CIA has WikiLeaks publishing over 8,000 pages of documents with some of the most highly sensitive cyber weapons. Cyber criminals are targeting our wallets, as well. General Keith Alexander said on-line theft has resulted in the greatest transfer of wealth in human history. Last year 2016], we also realized our democracy itself was at risk as the Russian government sought to undermine democratic institutions and influence our elections. They broke into political institutions, invaded the privacy of private citizens, spread false propaganda, and created discord in the lead-up to a historic vote. The conclusion from all this chaos is clear: Our digital defenses need to be strengthened and our attackers must feel the consequences of their actions.