US ‘Strike Force’ to Thwart Theft or Use of Disruptive Technology

(Bloomberg) -- US enforcement agencies are forming a “strike force” to combat adversaries trying to steal advanced technology, hack for financial gain or use new tools to collect intelligence.

The move comes as government officials are grappling with how to respond to new threats such as the balloon they allege that China sent to collect intelligence. It was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 after flying across the US. 

The “disruptive technology strike force,” led by the Justice and Commerce departments, will use intelligence and data to help identify early threats to trade secrets and protect critical supply chains, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a speech Thursday in London.

“Today, autocrats seek tactical advantage through the acquisition, use and abuse of disruptive technology: innovations that are fueling the next generation of military and national security capabilities,” Monaco said at the independent research institute Chatham House.

“The ability to weaponize data will only advance over time, as artificial intelligence and algorithms enable the use of large datasets in new and increasingly sophisticated ways,” she said. “The data obtained today could be used in new and very frightening ways tomorrow.”

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The US and its ally nations are grappling with how to respond to emerging technological threats and tumultuous geopolitical events, ranging from spying to the exploitation of capital investments and the theft of secret software algorithms.

Monaco didn’t provide specific details on how the new strike force will be organized and what its initial efforts will include. But she said US prosecutors, agents and analysts use law enforcement tools in novel ways. 

“We are disrupting cyber-attacks, enforcing sweeping sanctions, analyzing foreign investments in US businesses to detect and to deter bad actors — all to protect American technology and know-how from being exploited by our adversaries,” she said. “Today, the greatest risks come not only from investment in our physical assets, but from transactions where datasets, software and algorithms are the assets.”

She cited actions by the Chinese government as particularly concerning. “If a company is operating in China and is collecting your data, it is a good bet that the Chinese government is accessing it,” she said.

During a discussion after her speech, Monaco said agencies are “first and foremost” concerned about how adversaries might “use and abuse” technologies. She said agencies seek to thread a needle in their approach so as to not harm legitimate investments.

“We have to be incredibly thoughtful about how we go about this,” she said. “It has got to be focused, I think, on private capital in very specific industries and sectors — things like semiconductors, things like quantum computing, but not applying a broad brush to this approach.”