In a sobering Senate session, top lawmakers disclosed America’s immersion in a nonstop cyber skirmish with hostile powers. Real-time strikes on critical infrastructure are surging, evading detection and demanding urgent countermeasures, they warned.
‘Forget hypotheticals—this war is here,’ declared Sen. Roger Wicker, Armed Services Committee leader. He praised U.S. Cyber Command’s covert heroism against enemies mastering evasion tech through massive investments.
Wicker decried U.S. infrastructure’s fragility, mirroring global hotspots, particularly as cyber forces gear up for Indo-Pacific showdowns. Incoming Cyber Command and NSA head Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudder framed cyber as warfare’s core element.
Leveraging extensive expertise, Rudder advocated rapid response, versatility, and unified operations. ‘Velocity, nimbleness, and total integration are vital today,’ he told the committee. Cyber operations are now routine in military playbooks.
Sen. Jack Reed cautioned of vulnerability spikes, with foes like Russia and China weaponizing AI alongside cyber assaults. He scrutinized Cyber Command’s posture during leadership voids and ‘Cyber Command 2.0’ transitions. Rudder vowed to shield democratic integrity from abroad threats.
The panel debated aggression: Sen. Dan Sullivan pushed, ‘Why not strike back hard?’ noting impunity for attackers. Rudder affirmed dual offense-defense prowess, subject to civilian oversight.
Concerns over citizen safeguards surfaced, with Sen. Elissa Slotkin questioning NSA misuse. Rudder promised rejection of unwarranted domestic surveillance. As cyber frontiers blur, the U.S. must evolve swiftly to counter stealthy foes safeguarding its digital backbone and democratic foundations.