Nicole Perlroth

So here we are. China has tilted the digital battlefield in its favor. They're not respecting red lines. They've already crossed them. They're inside the house, inside our most critical infrastructure. And as tensions rise with Trump's trade war, the escalating rhetoric, this dangerous game of chicken, the economic entanglement that once acted as a break, is giving way.

So here we are. China has tilted the digital battlefield in its favor. They're not respecting red lines. They've already crossed them. They're inside the house, inside our most critical infrastructure. And as tensions rise with Trump's trade war, the escalating rhetoric, this dangerous game of chicken, the economic entanglement that once acted as a break, is giving way.

And that, that may have been our last real deterrent. A cyber war with China isn't inevitable, but with every breach of American infrastructure, it's clear they're preparing for one. As for us, we're only expanding the attack surface, and we've barely begun to think about new modes of deterrence, not just in cyber, but across government. Here's Rob Joyce on that point at our live panel last March.

And that, that may have been our last real deterrent. A cyber war with China isn't inevitable, but with every breach of American infrastructure, it's clear they're preparing for one. As for us, we're only expanding the attack surface, and we've barely begun to think about new modes of deterrence, not just in cyber, but across government. Here's Rob Joyce on that point at our live panel last March.

Recently, we've heard various Trump officials talk about the need to pull the gloves off and punch back in cyber. Here's Alexi Bulizel, the highest ranking cyber official on Trump's team and the head of cyber at the National Security Council, speaking at RSA, the security conference back in April.

Recently, we've heard various Trump officials talk about the need to pull the gloves off and punch back in cyber. Here's Alexi Bulizel, the highest ranking cyber official on Trump's team and the head of cyber at the National Security Council, speaking at RSA, the security conference back in April.

Yeah, absolutely. there is an equal and opposite reaction every cyber attack has a way of boomeranging back unlike bombs and traditional weapons we don't just drop these things and watch them blow this is code we're talking about and code can be dissected reverse engineered and ultimately turned back on its maker.

Yeah, absolutely. there is an equal and opposite reaction every cyber attack has a way of boomeranging back unlike bombs and traditional weapons we don't just drop these things and watch them blow this is code we're talking about and code can be dissected reverse engineered and ultimately turned back on its maker.

So if we're going there, then cyber defense absolutely should become our number one national priority. And that defense has to go beyond government targets because we know the CCP doctrine, unrestricted warfare on civilian systems. And we don't just know it, we're seeing it.

So if we're going there, then cyber defense absolutely should become our number one national priority. And that defense has to go beyond government targets because we know the CCP doctrine, unrestricted warfare on civilian systems. And we don't just know it, we're seeing it.

We don't know if or when they'll pull the trigger or how far they'll go, but it's long past time we pull our heads up out of the sand. This is happening. Pretending it's not is a losing strategy. It guarantees America loses before the real battle has even begun.

We don't know if or when they'll pull the trigger or how far they'll go, but it's long past time we pull our heads up out of the sand. This is happening. Pretending it's not is a losing strategy. It guarantees America loses before the real battle has even begun.

In the 15 years I've been tracking cyber threats, one thing has held true. Human nature tends to ignore the warning signs until it's too late. Even those who are running our most critical infrastructure don't want to believe that they're targets. They want to think that this doesn't apply to them or that they're immune until they're not. People don't get religion on cyber until they're breached.

In the 15 years I've been tracking cyber threats, one thing has held true. Human nature tends to ignore the warning signs until it's too late. Even those who are running our most critical infrastructure don't want to believe that they're targets. They want to think that this doesn't apply to them or that they're immune until they're not. People don't get religion on cyber until they're breached.

And only then do they truly understand the stakes, take stock of their dependencies, and do what is necessary to limit the blast radius for the next attack. Everyone else, we're just waiting our turn. And that's where the real danger lies, because the targets we're seeing Chinese hackers infiltrate, these aren't paint and beverage companies anymore.

And only then do they truly understand the stakes, take stock of their dependencies, and do what is necessary to limit the blast radius for the next attack. Everyone else, we're just waiting our turn. And that's where the real danger lies, because the targets we're seeing Chinese hackers infiltrate, these aren't paint and beverage companies anymore.

Without solid mitigation and recovery plans in place, it's not just going to be disruption. It's game over. There might be nothing left to recover. Here's Dale Peterson. And just a quick definition repeat here. Dale will refer to OT systems. It stands for operational technology.

Without solid mitigation and recovery plans in place, it's not just going to be disruption. It's game over. There might be nothing left to recover. Here's Dale Peterson. And just a quick definition repeat here. Dale will refer to OT systems. It stands for operational technology.

If IT is the business network, OT refers to the computers that control the pipeline, the grid, the actual train switches on the track.

If IT is the business network, OT refers to the computers that control the pipeline, the grid, the actual train switches on the track.