When we consider threats to US national security, we often think in terms of countries. Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran — these are the usual suspects. However, a more effective approach to mitigating country-specific hazards is to assess how they endanger the United States. Two of the most immediate and potentially devastating capabilities are state-sponsored cyber warfare and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI).
National Security Threats – More Than Just China
China has been at the forefront of Congress' concerns, and significant progress has been made in communicating the menace of the People's Republic of China (PRC). In most assessments of global affairs, the PRC looms large. Equally troubling are others that play significant roles. The latest Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community claimed:
"A range of cyber and intelligence actors are targeting our wealth, critical infrastructure, telecom, and media. Nonstate groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China, as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers.”
Statista reported that, from 2010 through 2023, cyberattacks on US government agencies averaged 44,261 annually. The highest number of attacks occurred in 2015, during the Barack Obama administration, when the number of hacks and attempted ones reached 77,000. Since that peak, the number has remained relatively stable, averaging around 33,000 per year through 2023. However, Reuters reported that in 2024, cyberattacks on the United States surged 70% – to approximately 55,000.
