Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing.  Enhancing America’s cybersecurity remains a top priority for many of us on this committee and I look forward to our continued work to address cyber threats, whether they are in the commercial aviation industry or in driverless cars. It is imperative that this committee and Congress is doing everything we can to protect our nation from cyberattacks.

Cyberattacks keep coming and we must remain vigilant in protecting against them.  Combating these attacks is like playing a game of whack-a-mole where the bad guys keep popping up with new tools to exploit any weakness.  Therefore, we must constantly look down the road and anticipate the impact of new technologies. 

The rapid commercialization of the so-called Internet of Things, which provides consumers with potential benefits, also provides hackers with a multitude of new targets to attack.  Artificial intelligence and quantum computing could greatly enhance our cyber defense capabilities, but in the wrong hands, could make detecting threats more difficult, risking our economic and physical well-being.  Blockchain technology, which has proven successful in securing financial transactions, could be used to secure all kinds of sensitive data and information.  At today’s hearing, I hope to learn more about all of these emerging technologies and their cybersecurity applications—good or bad.

Americans are rightly concerned about cybersecurity, including the privacy of their own information and hacks of banks, insurance companies, and critical infrastructure like the power grid.  According to the intelligence community’s January 6^th assessment, we know that Russian hackers—at Vladimir Putin’s direction—used a series of relatively simple cyberattacks to try to influence the 2016 election, striking at the very core of our cherished democracy. Imagine what Russian or Chinese hackers or cyber criminals might do with advanced technologies.

Because the technologies we discuss today could be used as weapons against us in a cyberattack, I want to know how Russia, China, and other adversaries might use these technologies to disrupt our economy and civil society.  How might Russian hackers use the Internet of Things to hack our most vulnerable systems? How might blockchain technology be used to secure sensitive data or disguise illicit activity?  How might quantum computing and artificial intelligence improve or undermine the cybersecurity of everyday Americans, our private sector, and our government?

These are all questions I hope our distinguished panel will shed some light on today. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.