So what’s the FBI doing about the cyber threat? Realistically, we know we can’t prevent every attack, or punish every hacker. We at the FBI are in the business of protecting vital assets, whether those are government state secrets or corporate trade secrets, and we look forward to working with folks like you to help protect your crown jewels. Instead, they utilize people from all walks of life-hackers, businesspeople, academics, researchers, diplomats, tourists, and anyone else who can get their hands on something of value. They are no longer dependent on just intelligence services to carry out their aims. Nation-state actors are also turning to more creative avenues to steal information. We’ve also begun seeing a “blended threat”-nation-states using criminal hackers to do their dirty work. Launched by the Russian military, NotPetya resulted in billions of dollars in damage across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. We’re seeing an increase in nation-state sponsored computer intrusions, like last year’s massive WannaCry ransomware attack, recently attributed to North Korea, and NotPetya-the most destructive and costly cyber attack in history. And we’re concerned about a wider gamut of methods, from botnets to ransomware, from spearfishing and business e-mail compromise to illicit crypto mining and APTs. We’re worried-at the FBI and with our partners-about a wider range of threat actors, from multi-national cyber syndicates and insider threats to hacktivists. This threat is now coming at us from all sides.
What was once a comparatively minor threat-people hacking for fun or for bragging rights-has turned into full-blown economic espionage and extremely lucrative cyber crime. And that’s a scary thought for a lot of people. Today, we live much of our lives online, and everything that’s important to us lives on the Internet. I’ve noticed it’s a bit more popular now. Back then, “tweeting” was something only birds did. The cyber threat has evolved dramatically since I left DOJ in 2005, partly just reflecting how much the digital world has itself evolved over that time. I’d like to talk to you about what the cyber threat picture looks like today, what the FBI is doing about it, and most importantly, what’s the way forward? Where’s the threat going? And where do we need to be to meet that threat? So maybe the most useful thing I can do today is to offer the viewpoint of someone who’s looking at this world with fresh eyes. And I’ve tried over the past six months to start catching up on all things cyber. It’s fair to say that no area has evolved more dramatically since then, given the breathtaking and blistering pace of technological change. Back then, I was head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, which included the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, overseeing cyber investigations. Before taking this job, the last time I had to think seriously about cyber security through a law enforcement and national security perspective was 13 years ago. Many of you have been thinking about the threats in this particular arena for a long time. This morning, of course, I’m focused primarily on the cyber threat. The work of the FBI, to put it mildly, is complex and covers just about every threat we face. And I couldn’t be more proud or inspired, but at the same time pretty humbled, to stand with them as we face the formidable challenges of today-and tomorrow.
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Let me start by saying how honored I feel to be here representing the 37,000 men and women of the FBI.Īs I make my way around our 56 field offices, our Headquarters divisions, and our Legat offices around the world, I encounter example after example of selfless, relentlessly hard-working, honest, brave and professional folks. I want to thank Father Burns, Provost Quigley, and Boston College for coordinating this conference.