John Ratcliffe, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, pledged to lawmakers on Wednesday to keep the United States – and the intelligence agency – ahead of foreign adversaries on key emerging technology issues if the Senate confirms his nomination.
During the Jan. 15 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Ratcliffe told senators that as technological innovation has shifted from the public to the private sector over recent decades, “the CIA has struggled to keep pace.”
“Technology is more important than ever, whether it’s understanding our adversaries’ capabilities in AI and quantum computing, or their developments in hypersonics and emerging space technologies, or their innovations in counterintelligence and surveillance,” he said.
Ratcliffe explained that the recent creation of the CIA’s Transnational and Technology Mission Center, along establishing the new position of chief technology officer at the agency, were acknowledgments of this issue.
“[It] showed an effort to increase technological cohesion internally and to build bridges with cutting edge technologists externally,” he said.
However, while these efforts are a step in the right direction, “much more has to be done,” Ratcliffe said. He said part of that effort must include “deepening collaboration between the private sector, where there’s so much innovation and ingenuity in the space of emerging technologies.”
Ratcliffe further explained that adversarial nations, particularly China, “understand that the nation who wins the race in the emerging technologies of today will dominate the world of tomorrow.”
“This is our once-in-a-generation challenge. The intelligence is clear. Our response must be as well,” Ratcliffe said.
Ratcliffe Sees Cyber as Key Priority
In addition to prioritizing technological dominance, Ratcliffe also emphasized cybersecurity as a key focus if he is confirmed to lead the nation’s top intelligence agency.
“It’s invasion through our digital borders from half a world away in a few seconds and a few keystrokes that can cause … so much damage. The deterrent effect has to be that there are consequences to our adversaries when they do that,” he said.
Cybersecurity has garnered bipartisan attention in Congress, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle pushing for increased efforts by Federal agencies, especially in light of high-profile attacks in recent years.
In light of those attacks, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, questioned Ratcliffe about the potential for “[developing] a declaratory cyber deterrent strategy similar to the strategy that underlies the rest of the national defense posture.”
Ratcliffe concurred with Sen. King on the need for such a strategy. He added that, if confirmed, he intends to “work on the development of those types of tools that will be effective in allowing us to … deploy those capabilities … I would like to make sure that we have all of the tools necessary to go on offense against our adversaries.”
Nominee Props Up Section 702
Ratcliffe also expressed strong support for authorities under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) – the intelligence community’s (IC) warrantless surveillance tool which is up for renewal next year.
In 2008, Congress enacted Section 702 as a critical intelligence collection authority that enables the IC to collect, analyze, and appropriately share foreign intelligence information about national security threats.
However, critics of the program argue that it compromises the privacy of American citizens “caught in the crossfire” of the surveillance tool.
Ratcliffe acknowledged the criticism surrounding the surveillance authority. But he also pointed to specific procedures within the program aimed at minimizing the acquisition, retention, and sharing of information on U.S. citizens and residents. He also noted that the CIA maintains a 99.6 percent compliance rate on “U.S. person queries.”
When asked by Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., if he would support the renewal of Section 702, Ratcliffe answered: “It’s critical. It’s indispensable … and for critics of it, no one has offered a replacement.”
