FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned that the United States is grappling with an unprecedented combination of security threats. He highlighted the agency’s deep concerns about the simultaneous surge in terrorism, cybercrime, foreign election interference, and espionage activities by hostile nations.
In a briefing with The Associated Press at the FBI’s Minneapolis field office on August 21, Director Wray stated that he is “hard-pressed to think of a time” in his career “where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once.”
“I worry about the combination of that many threats being elevated at once, with the challenges facing the men and women in law enforcement more generally,” he said, pointing out the stark statistic that law enforcement officers are being killed in the line of duty in the United States at a rate of about one every five days.
Wray chose not to elaborate on any specific investigations or threats but mentioned that the FBI is particularly focused on concerns such as Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, foreign election interference, threats enabled by artificial intelligence, and terrorism.
He said better cooperation between law enforcement agencies is a key part of confronting the unprecedented security landscape.
Wray said that he hopes that the U.S. tech industry, in particular its developments around cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), can also play a role in helping to protect Americans from AI-enabled threats coming their way.
The FBI director’s latest remarks build on his previous warnings, including that China-sponsored hackers are poised to hit U.S. infrastructure at any time with a “devastating blow” to induce panic and that the FBI is increasingly concerned about the potential for a coordinated terror attack on the U.S. homeland.
Wray’s warnings, which address threats ranging from terrorism to increasing cyberattacks, align with findings from several major national security reports. These include the White House’s “2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s 2024 annual threat assessment, and its National Counterintelligence Strategy.
According to the counterintelligence strategy report, foreign intelligence threats to the United States are at an all-time high, with adversaries using a range of tactics to target various potential vulnerabilities.
The report warns that the Chinese communist regime and Russia represent “the most significant intelligence threats,” noting that these major adversaries are increasingly collaborating to intensify threats to the U.S. homeland.
“An expanding array of actors are attempting to steal national secrets, sensitive data, intellectual property, and technical and military capabilities, and undermine and disrupt U.S. foreign policy and intelligence operations,” the strategy document warns.
The document states that foreign intelligence entities are actively working to compromise critical U.S. infrastructure essential to health, safety, and the economy. They are also seeking to influence U.S. policy and public opinion by targeting government agencies, commercial businesses, defense contractors, think tanks, and academic institutions to acquire sensitive information.
The report on the cybersecurity posture of the United States identifies five key trends, each posing distinct challenges to national security and the country’s broader digital ecosystem.
The report highlights that “nation-state adversaries” are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, not only for espionage but also as a strategic leverage point. It also notes that ransomware attacks have become more sophisticated, with attackers refining their tactics to evade defenses and posing ongoing threats to national security and economic stability.
Moreover, the exploitation of complex supply chains, the rise of commercial spyware, and the rapid advancement of AI presented new risks, the report warns, while highlighting the need for robust cyberdefense strategies.
The intelligence community’s annual threat assessment also underscores the continued spread of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear threats from North Korea, and highlights the potential for interstate conflicts in areas such as the South China Sea.
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