New US ‘strike force’ seeks to combat national security threats

The U.S. Justice and Commerce Departments have partnered to establish the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which aims to bolster the U.S. government's efforts in countering threats stemming from foreign cyberattacks and technology investments, according to CyberScoop. Aside from leveraging intelligence and data analytics to better target malicious actors, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force will also be strengthening public-private partnerships in supply chain security, as well as working on accelerating the identification of threats to semiconductors and other critical assets, according to U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. "Our goal is simple but essential to strike back against adversaries trying to siphon off our best technology," Monaco said. Monaco also said that the new force seeks to expand on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which has now been deemed inadequate for foreign investment screenings. "But CFIUS began nearly 50 years ago in an era of brick-and-mortar transactions. But today, the greatest risks come not from investment in our physical assets, but from transactions where datasets, software, and algorithms are the assets," Monaco added.