SENDING A MESSAGE — The Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation wants to stand up to Beijing for its recent hacking efforts against the U.S. — part of a number of goals he has for the panel during the 119th Congress. “We're gonna be in your networks, causing mischief, and two could play this game,” Bacon told your MC host during a sit-down interview last week. He stressed that in response to massive Chinese-linked hacks — such as the infiltration of U.S. telecoms networks by the Salt Typhoon hacking group and the compromise of networks at the Treasury Department — he hopes to push the Pentagon to be “more aggressive” in its cyber offensive efforts. “It doesn't have to be vocal, but China needs to know that we're going back in [their networks]. Speak softly, but carry a big ass stick and let China know that, ‘Hey, you're not gonna get by with just doing the shit you're doing,’” Bacon said. Bacon’s call for more cyber offensive measures follows prior comments from President-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and the chairs of the House Homeland Security and China panels. On Sunday, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, added to these voices, saying on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that “we’ve got to be strong in standing up to [China] and explaining to them, in some cases, consequences need to be serious.” Those calls may have been heeded. Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said last week that “we have taken steps in response to Salt Typhoon” and “sent clear messages to the PRC about what it would actually mean if they acted to disrupt American critical infrastructure and how we would respond.” — Leave DoD be: As Bacon told your MC host, China is far from his only concern as the chair of the cyber subcommittee. He also could find himself facing off with the Trump administration on reorganization issues for the nation’s cyber defense, as he has opposed the incoming officials’ reported plans to split up the dual-hat leadership of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. “I’m going to push back on it,” Bacon said. “You’ve got to have these people on the same team.” The lawmaker praised current Cyber Command and NSA lead Gen. Tim Haugh’s leadership, stressing the risks that could come from adding additional cooks to the cyber kitchen. Bacon and Haugh had previously served together in the Air Force. He’s also opposed to the idea of creating a Cyber Force at the Pentagon that would operate as a dedicated branch of the military at the level of the Army or Navy. Instead, he favors an organizational model based on the U.S. Special Operations Command. Read much more in an article from your MC host out this morning (for Pros).
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