The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection on Tuesday examined how the United States can strengthen its use of cyber capabilities to deter and disrupt foreign threats targeting the homeland.
In testimony delivered Jan. 13, cybersecurity expert Emily Harding outlined how offensive cyber tools, particularly those employed by U.S. Cyber Command, have demonstrated the ability to disrupt adversary activity when authorized and integrated into broader national security efforts. She emphasized that cyber operations are now a central element of state competition and must be treated alongside traditional diplomatic, economic, and military tools.
Harding pointed to recent cyber activity linked to foreign actors targeting U.S. critical infrastructure as evidence that resilience and preparedness remain essential. She stressed the need for faster recovery capabilities, clearer policy frameworks, and earlier integration of cyber planning across federal agencies.
The testimony also highlighted the importance of coordination with allies and the private sector, which owns much of the nation’s critical infrastructure, as well as congressional support for investments in cybersecurity, workforce development, and system modernization.
Lawmakers are expected to continue examining how offensive and defensive cyber capabilities can be better aligned to protect critical systems and strengthen deterrence in the evolving threat environment.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)
