A strike force made up of experts in advanced technologies and national security is now working across the country to protect crucial technological assets and the nation's supply chains from bad actors, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced.
The Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a joint operation between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DOC, launched Feb. 17 "to target illicit actors, strengthen supply chains and protect critical technological assets from being acquired or used by nation-state adversaries," the announcement states.
“The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security remains steadfast in our coordination with our federal partners at the Department of Justice and vigilant in our enforcement of our export controls,” Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said in the announcement. “This interagency strike force will further strengthen this shared national security priority.”
The strike force will bring together experts from the government, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and US Attorneys’ Offices, to investigate and prosecute criminal violations of export laws, support enforcement of U.S export controls, foster partnerships with the private sector, work with international partners, and strengthen teamwork with the intelligence community, according to the announcement.
“Advances in technology have the potential to alter the world’s balance of power,” Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said in the announcement. “This strike force is designed to protect U.S. national security by preventing those sensitive technologies from being used for malign purposes.”
Nation-state adversaries can use and manipulate advanced technologies, such as supercomputing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biosciences and others, to build up and strengthen their military or to conduct mass surveillance programs that enable human rights abuses, the DOC reports. Adversaries could also use advanced technologies to disrupt and threaten U.S. security, according to the DOC.
“The Disruptive Technology Strike Force takes aim at those who imperil our national security and the rule of law by illegally transferring sensitive technologies to foreign adversaries,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in the statement. “We must remain vigilant in enforcing export control laws, which defend military readiness, preserve our technological superiority over our adversaries, and help to protect human rights and democratic values.”
