CIA nominee tells Senate he, too, wants to go on cyber offense | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cia-nominee-john-ratcliffe-cyber-offense\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CIA nominee tells Senate he, too, wants to go on cyber offense\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"John Ratcliffe said he wants to develop cyber offense tools and supports a cyber-focused deterrence strategy.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cia-nominee-john-ratcliffe-cyber-offense\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-15T20:04:54+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-15T20:04:56+00:00\"> <meta property=\"og:image\" 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class=\"stickybar__details\" readability=\"5.12\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__info js-sticky-bar-content\" readability=\"32\">\n<p>Nominations can be submitted for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <a class=\"stickybar__link button button-tertiary\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cyberscoop50\/\">Click here!<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.565255731922\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.04347826087\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cia-nominee-john-ratcliffe-cyber-offense\/\"> <span>Government<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> John Ratcliffe said he wants to develop cyber offense tools and supports a cyber-focused deterrence strategy. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/83145\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrives for a Senate Intelligence confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"18.223286504896\"><body readability=\"41.590960451977\"><\/p>\n<p>CIA director nominee John Ratcliffe said during testimony on Capitol Hill that if confirmed, he hopes to develop offensive cyber tools and supports the creation of a cyber-specific deterrence strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence and in the House of Representatives for Texas, drew a comparison to the concerns over physical, territorial borders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s invasion through our digital borders from half a world away in a few seconds and a few keystrokes that can cause so much damage,\u201d Ratcliffe told Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, during an Intelligence Committee hearing Wednesday on his nomination. \u201cThe deterrent effect has to be that there are consequences to our adversaries when they do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ratcliffe added his voice to those in President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s orbit and elsewhere to <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/aggressive-cyber-offense-trump-administration-us-strategy-debate\/\">ratchet up U.S. cyber offense<\/a> in response to high-profile breaches like those by Chinese hackers of telecommunications companies, an idea that some experts have greeted with skepticism.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He said that as CIA director, he would seek to steer the agency to work on cyber tools that will allow the United States to retaliate against attackers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe deployment of those capabilities would of course be a policy decision for others to make,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I would like to make sure we have all the tools necessary to go on offense against our adversaries in the cyber means.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Much of what the CIA does in cyberspace is classified, but some details have emerged publicly at times. During his first term, Trump gave the CIA more freedom to conduct cyberspace operations, leading to cyberattacks on Iranian infrastructure and more, Yahoo News <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/secret-trump-order-gives-cia-more-powers-to-launch-cyberattacks-090015219.html\">reported in 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/vault7\/\">Vault 7 leaks<\/a> of 2017 also shed light on the CIA\u2019s cyber tools.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3482,3372,271,1334,2020,289,117,3483,3456,910,2953,2254,2054,1557,290,3484,3485],"tags":[3486,3373,277,1336,2021,295,119,3487,3458,911,2956,2255,2055,1562,296,3488,3489],"class_list":["post-6934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-angus-king","category-central-intelligence-agency","category-china","category-cia","category-director-of-national-intelligence","category-donald-trump","category-government","category-john-ratcliffe","category-offensive-cybersecurity","category-office-of-the-director-of-national-intelligence-odni","category-salt-typhoon","category-sen-angus-king","category-senate-intelligence-committee","category-trump","category-trump-administration","category-vault-7","category-vault7","tag-angus-king","tag-central-intelligence-agency","tag-china","tag-cia","tag-director-of-national-intelligence","tag-donald-trump","tag-government","tag-john-ratcliffe","tag-offensive-cybersecurity","tag-office-of-the-director-of-national-intelligence-odni","tag-salt-typhoon","tag-sen-angus-king","tag-senate-intelligence-committee","tag-trump","tag-trump-administration","tag-vault-7","tag-vault7"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/angus-king\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Angus King<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/central-intelligence-agency\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Central Intelligence Agency<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/china\/\" rel=\"category tag\">China<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/cia\/\" rel=\"category tag\">CIA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/director-of-national-intelligence\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Director of National Intelligence<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/donald-trump\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Donald Trump<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/government\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Government<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/john-ratcliffe\/\" rel=\"category tag\">John Ratcliffe<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/offensive-cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">offensive cybersecurity<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/office-of-the-director-of-national-intelligence-odni\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/salt-typhoon\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Salt Typhoon<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/sen-angus-king\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sen. Angus King<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/senate-intelligence-committee\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Senate Intelligence Committee<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/trump\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Trump<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/trump-administration\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Trump administration<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/vault-7\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Vault 7<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/vault7\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Vault7<\/a>","tag_info":"Vault7","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6934\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":6934,"date":"2025-01-15T14:04:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T20:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=83145"},"modified":"2025-01-15T14:04:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T20:04:54","slug":"cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/cia-nominee-tells-senate-he-too-wants-to-go-on-cyber-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"CIA nominee tells Senate he, too, wants to go on cyber offense"},"content":{"rendered":"