Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), House Republican Conference Chair, joined forces with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to issue a joint statement regarding a recent report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The report seeks to highlight potential national security threats posed by Chinese-manufactured Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
"The new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report makes clear that Communist Chinese drones present a legitimate national security risk to our critical infrastructure and must be banned from the U.S.," said Stefanik and Gallagher, as reported in a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP. "The CCP has subsidized drone companies such as DJI and Autel in order to destroy American competition and spy on America’s critical infrastructure sites. We must ban CCP-backed spy drones from America and work to bolster the U.S. drone industry."
The CISA report, published on Jan. 17, details the threat presented by UAS, or drones, in terms of "exposing sensitive information to PRC authorities, jeopardizing U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety." It delves into these vulnerabilities and their potential consequences for the United States due to Chinese drones. The report offers UAS cybersecurity recommendations such as incorporating UAS components into an organizational cybersecurity framework for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, isolating networks to prevent potential malware spread, verifying current software versions prior to operational use, among others.
Dr. David Mussington, CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security stated: "The use of Chinese-manufactured UAS risks exposing sensitive information that jeopardizes U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety," according to a press release from CISA. "With our FBI partners, CISA continues to call urgent attention to China’s aggressive cyber operations to steal intellectual property and sensitive data from organizations. We encourage any organization procuring and operating UAS to review the guidance and take action to mitigate risk. We must work together to ensure the security and resilience of our critical infrastructure."
Stefanik, who represents New York's 21st Congressional District, assumed office in 2015 and is currently seeking re-election. At the age of 30, she made history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in 2014. On May 14, 2021, Stefanik secured the position of House Republican Conference Chair. She serves on various committees, including the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), according to Ballotpedia.
