Here are the big tech threats worrying US intelligence officials
Heads of America’s federal intelligence agencies met before the Senate Tuesday to discuss the biggest threats facing the world. Here are the tech troubles that the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence are worrying about right now:
Election meddling. “Persistent and disruptive cyber operations will continue against the United States and our European allies using elections as opportunities to undermine democracy,” explained Dan Coats, director of national intelligence.
IP gobbling. “[China is] exploiting the very open R&D environment we have, which we all revere,” said FBI director Christopher Wray. “They’re taking advantage of it.” The level of infiltration by Chinese students and researchers in the US, he said, showed a “level of naïveté” in academia.
More hacks. Russian attacks on power stations, Chinese digital espionage, North Korean cyber-heists to raise funds—Coats warned that there’s plenty more to come.
Deep Dive
Tech policy
How Russia killed its tech industry
The invasion of Ukraine supercharged the decline of the country’s already struggling tech sector—and undercut its biggest success story, Yandex.
AI might not steal your job, but it could change it
AI is already being used in the legal field. Is it really ready to be a lawyer?
How to preserve your digital memories
Following recent announcements by Google and Twitter, more data deletion policies are coming.
Your digital life isn’t as permanent as you think it is
Google will delete accounts after two years of inactivity, and experts expect more data deletion policies to come
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.