WASHINGTON
- The intelligence officer of the nation warned Congress on Tuesday
that a cyber attack could cripple the infrastructure and economy of the
United States and suggested that these attacks pose the immediate threat
to the United States more dangerous, more pressing than the attack of
the global terrorist networks.
James R. Clapper
Jr., the director of national intelligence, said in testimony prepared
for the Senate Intelligence Committee that U.S. intelligence agencies
was only a "remote possibility" in the next two years of a major cyber
attack - which defined as an operation that "would result in long-term, large-scale disruption of services, as a regional power outage."However,
it was the first time that Mr. Clapper has included cyber attacks first
in his annual presentation to Congress about the various threats facing
the United States, and the rare occasion since 2001 that intelligence
officials did not list the international terrorism for the first time in the catalog of dangers facing America.
In 2009, the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair said the global financial crisis, the "main concern short-term security of the United States."In a prepared statement Mr. Clapper, said: "In some cases, the world is the application of digital technologies faster than our ability to understand the security implications and mitigate potential risks."In his State of the Union address, President Obama highlighted the dangers of cyber espionage, and U.S. officials have recently stepped up rhetoric aimed at China. On Monday, Tom Donilon, national security adviser, called on China to agree to "acceptable standards of behavior in cyberspace.
"Mr. Clapper testimony began Tuesday with the heads of various intelligence agencies, including Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, of the Defense Intelligence Agency and John O. Brennan, who took over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency last week after a lengthy confirmation fight.
The threat is the only hearing scheduled time each year that spy chiefs open testify to Congress about the dangers facing America.Mr. Clapper also gave new emphasis on the dangers of nuclear weapons by North Korea and missile programs, said for the first time that "pose a serious threat to the United States" and to its neighbors in Asia Eastern. North Korea, which has recently made a series of belligerent statements after its third nuclear test, has shown an intercontinental missile that can be moved by road and a satellite launched in December over a launch vehicle Taepodong-2, according to the report.
Intelligence agencies to see evidence of North Korea "committed to developing long-term missile technology" that could threaten the United States, Mr. Clapper said, but their willingness to use their weapons remains uncertain ."Although we assess that North untrustworthy just try to use nuclear weapons against U.S. forces or their allies to preserve the Kim regime, we do not know what would be, from the perspective of North Korea, crossing that threshold "Clapper said.Mr. Clapper said it was unlikely that Russia and China will launch "devastating" cyber attacks against the United States in the next two years, but he said that foreign intelligence services had been hacked and computer networks of government agencies, businesses and private companies.
Two specific attacks listed Mr. Clapper, August 1, 2012 attack on the oil company Saudi Aramco and cyber attacks last year to U.S. banks and stock exchanges, is believed by U.S. intelligence officials to be the work of Iran.In his discussion of terrorism, Mr. Clapper noted that while the core of Al Qaeda in Pakistan "is probably unable to carry out complex, large-scale attacks in the West", a series of spin-offs that continues to pose a threat. Listed first is the affiliate in Yemen, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, that Mr. Clapper said he had maintained its target of attacks on U.S. soil, but also said the militant groups in six countries still threaten local violence .
Testimony of Mr. Clapper has noted the negative consequences of the Arab Spring, saying that while "some countries have moved towards democracy, most are experiencing uncertainty, violence and political setback" in particular and ethnic violence terrorist attacks. Islamist leaders and parties are the main beneficiaries of the recent elections and are prone to "solidify its influence" in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, its statement.In the aftermath of the revolutions in the Arab countries, Mr. Clapper said the United States needs to keep an eye on three issues: the possibility that political chaos will produce "ungoverned spaces" that extremists might Plot Against America, economic difficulties and high unemployment that could destabilize some countries, and anti-Americanism by the new populist governments.
As in previous years, Mr. Clapper said Iran continued to develop nuclear capabilities, but Tehran's leaders had not decided whether to build a nuclear weapon.He said Iran's nuclear decision-making was based on a "cost-benefit approach" that gives other nations the opportunity to influence the behavior of Tehran."Iranian leaders undoubtedly consider Iran's security, prestige and influence, as well as the international political and security, to make decisions about its nuclear program," the statement said.
In 2009, the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair said the global financial crisis, the "main concern short-term security of the United States."In a prepared statement Mr. Clapper, said: "In some cases, the world is the application of digital technologies faster than our ability to understand the security implications and mitigate potential risks."In his State of the Union address, President Obama highlighted the dangers of cyber espionage, and U.S. officials have recently stepped up rhetoric aimed at China. On Monday, Tom Donilon, national security adviser, called on China to agree to "acceptable standards of behavior in cyberspace.
"Mr. Clapper testimony began Tuesday with the heads of various intelligence agencies, including Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, of the Defense Intelligence Agency and John O. Brennan, who took over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency last week after a lengthy confirmation fight.
The threat is the only hearing scheduled time each year that spy chiefs open testify to Congress about the dangers facing America.Mr. Clapper also gave new emphasis on the dangers of nuclear weapons by North Korea and missile programs, said for the first time that "pose a serious threat to the United States" and to its neighbors in Asia Eastern. North Korea, which has recently made a series of belligerent statements after its third nuclear test, has shown an intercontinental missile that can be moved by road and a satellite launched in December over a launch vehicle Taepodong-2, according to the report.
Intelligence agencies to see evidence of North Korea "committed to developing long-term missile technology" that could threaten the United States, Mr. Clapper said, but their willingness to use their weapons remains uncertain ."Although we assess that North untrustworthy just try to use nuclear weapons against U.S. forces or their allies to preserve the Kim regime, we do not know what would be, from the perspective of North Korea, crossing that threshold "Clapper said.Mr. Clapper said it was unlikely that Russia and China will launch "devastating" cyber attacks against the United States in the next two years, but he said that foreign intelligence services had been hacked and computer networks of government agencies, businesses and private companies.
Two specific attacks listed Mr. Clapper, August 1, 2012 attack on the oil company Saudi Aramco and cyber attacks last year to U.S. banks and stock exchanges, is believed by U.S. intelligence officials to be the work of Iran.In his discussion of terrorism, Mr. Clapper noted that while the core of Al Qaeda in Pakistan "is probably unable to carry out complex, large-scale attacks in the West", a series of spin-offs that continues to pose a threat. Listed first is the affiliate in Yemen, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, that Mr. Clapper said he had maintained its target of attacks on U.S. soil, but also said the militant groups in six countries still threaten local violence .
Testimony of Mr. Clapper has noted the negative consequences of the Arab Spring, saying that while "some countries have moved towards democracy, most are experiencing uncertainty, violence and political setback" in particular and ethnic violence terrorist attacks. Islamist leaders and parties are the main beneficiaries of the recent elections and are prone to "solidify its influence" in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, its statement.In the aftermath of the revolutions in the Arab countries, Mr. Clapper said the United States needs to keep an eye on three issues: the possibility that political chaos will produce "ungoverned spaces" that extremists might Plot Against America, economic difficulties and high unemployment that could destabilize some countries, and anti-Americanism by the new populist governments.
As in previous years, Mr. Clapper said Iran continued to develop nuclear capabilities, but Tehran's leaders had not decided whether to build a nuclear weapon.He said Iran's nuclear decision-making was based on a "cost-benefit approach" that gives other nations the opportunity to influence the behavior of Tehran."Iranian leaders undoubtedly consider Iran's security, prestige and influence, as well as the international political and security, to make decisions about its nuclear program," the statement said.
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