News Highlights: The Cybersecurity 202: Not just about the nukes: Biden’s opening moves with Russia elevate. The stakes are extremely high as Biden avoids
The Cybersecurity 202: Not just about the nukes: Biden s opening moves with Russia elevate cybersecurity issues Tonya Riley
with Aaron Schaffer President Biden s decision to begin his term with an order to investigate Russian hacking and election interference is a dramatic elevation of cybersecurity issues in U.S. national security policy. As Biden seeks to extend a treaty limiting the world s largest nuclear arsenals – with just days before it expires – he is also preparing to punish Russia for its behavior in cyberspace. He s asking the newly-installed director of national intelligence to investigate the extensive Russian hack of at least eight government agencies tied to the SolarWinds breach and Russia s interference in the 2020 election to inform this decision.
Congress subsequently passed a law requiring the U.S. Officer of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, to release an unclassified report making details about Khashoggi’s killing available.
That report was never released under former President Trump. Ms. Haines was asked Tuesday if she would reverse course if confirmed to lead the ODNI and she agreed. She was confirmed the following night.
In the letter, released by Mr. Schiff‘s office, he specifically asked Ms. Haines to declassify the “classified annex” the ODNI provided to Congress in 2020 about Khashoggi’s killing with redactions as needed.
“The importance of speaking the truth and confronting the powerful over their misconduct is at the heart of bipartisan concerns over the year-long delay in ODNI’s production of an unclassified report to Congress regarding Saudi Arabia’s culpability,” Mr. Schiff wrote to Ms. Haines, who previously served as a national security official under former President Obama.
Biden Intends to Keep Wray as FBI Director, White House Confirms
The White House confirmed on Jan. 21 that President Joe Biden will retain FBI Director Christopher Wray in his administration.
“I caused an unintentional ripple yesterday so wanted to state very clearly President Biden intends to keep FBI Director Wray on in his role and he has confidence in the job he is doing,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter.
The “ripple” Psaki referred to was caused by her answer to a reporter at a White House press briefing on Jan. 20 asking her if Biden has confidence in Wray, to which Psaki said she hadn’t spoken to Biden about his views on the FBI director.