Justice, Commerce departments form strike team to defend U.S. technology

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The Justice and Commerce departments announced Thursday the start of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force to prevent top tech and digital secrets from being stolen by other countries.

Last month, FBI Directory Christopher Wray expressed dire concerns about cyberattacks and hacks from Russia and China at the World Economic Forum. He said emerging global threats included ransomware, cyberattacks, and economic espionage.

The new Disruptive Technology Strike Force will operate under the Justice Department's National Security Division and the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

It will operate from 14 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 12 metropolitan regions to target illicit actors, strengthen supply chains and protect critical technological assets from nation-state adversaries.

"Today, autocrats seek tactical advantage through the acquisition, use, and abuse of America's most innovative technology," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. "They use it to enhance their military capabilities, support mass surveillance programs that enable human rights abuses and all together undermine our values."

She said the ability to use real-time intelligence and today's best data analytics, the strike force will more effectively be able to "strike back against adversaries trying to siphon off our most advanced technology, and to attack tomorrow's national security threats today."

The strike force will be co-led by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen and Matthew Axelrod of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

"When acquired by nation-state adversaries such as the People's Republic of China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, advanced technologies can be used in new or novel ways to enhance their military capabilities or support mass surveillance programs that enable human rights abuses," the Justice Department said.

The department said adversaries are looking for various advance technologies like supercomputing and exascale computing, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing equipment and materials, quantum computing, and biosciences.

"Although they have important commercial uses, technologies in these fields can threaten U.S. national security when used by adversaries for disruptive purposes, such as improving calculations in weapons design and testing; improving the speed and accuracy of military or intelligence decision-making; and breaking developing unbreakable encryption algorithms that protect sensitive communications and classified information," the Justice Department said.