The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Feb. 16 the creation of a new task force that will combat growing cybersecurity threats by nation-state actors and other foreign entities.
The initiative, titled the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, was announced by Lisa O. Monaco, the deputy attorney general at the DoJ, during a visit to the United Kingdom. The task force will gather some of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts to combat cyber threats.
“I am excited to announce the launch of a new initiative – the Disruptive Technology Strike Force,” stated Monaco. “The Department of Justice is deploying all its tools to respond to nation-states who would exploit technology to undermine our alliances, our national security, and the rule of law.”
Monaco said the task force will “use intelligence and data analytics to target illicit actors, enhance public-private partnerships to harden supply chains, and identify early warning of threats to our critical assets, like semiconductors.”
The task force will also leverage its international partnerships and private industry connections to combat the growing risk of cyberattacks.
“The U.S., the UK, and our allies confront these national security challenges daily. And in the United States, the Department of Justice is at the center of efforts – working with our allies – to combat these threats,” stated Monaco.
“Our most critical tool in this effort is one we don’t share with our adversaries – it is the power of our partnerships, particularly the one we have shared with the UK for so very long,” she added.
Monaco also outlined the three main focuses of the task force to stand together against new threats, including:
- Against autocracies projecting power at home and abroad;
- Against adversaries challenging norms – from launching spy balloons to unleashing the most significant invasion in Europe since the Second World War; and
- Against rogue nation-states seeking to undermine democracy and the rule of law.
