Addressing the new world order

Blunt sees emerging cybersecurity threats as top challenge

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt spoke about the national security challenges the U.S. faces amidst rapidly changing foreign conflicts and advancements in technology Monday evening at Westminster College. Senator Blunt's speech marked the beginning of Westminster's Hancock Symposium, held Sept. 14-16, on the theme of security versus liberty: balancing the scales of freedom.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt spoke about the national security challenges the U.S. faces amidst rapidly changing foreign conflicts and advancements in technology Monday evening at Westminster College. Senator Blunt's speech marked the beginning of Westminster's Hancock Symposium, held Sept. 14-16, on the theme of security versus liberty: balancing the scales of freedom.

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AP

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2009, file photo, New York Yankees' Johnny Damon is seen before Game 3 of the American League division baseball series in Minneapolis. On Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Detroit Tigers and Johnny Damon have reached a preliminary agreement on an $8 million, one-year contract.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt's speech on protecting national security opened Wesminster College's 10th annual Hancock Symposium Monday evening with a presentation on the latest challenges of defending national security while upholding individual liberties.

Blunt offered insight into how efforts to protect national security have drastically changed in the post-9/11 world. He said the national security interests in preventing another catastrophic attack on the United States have changed not only national intelligence and security officials' perception of security, but also Americans' sense of security.

"After 9/11, Americans suddenly and quickly have a whole different view of their own safety and whatever it takes to protect that than they had before," he said.

When implementing effective measures to defend national security, Blunt said determining a balance between protecting security and how much liberty people are willing to sacrifice without imposing on citizens' rights or privacy is a huge challenge.

Since 9/11, cybersecurity has emerged as the newest threat to national security, posing challenges from protecting imperative intelligence information to basic communication.

With society's increasing reliance on technology, Blunt said, "All kinds of personal information is today more readily available to more people in an easier way than it ever has been before."

The cyber realm has created a new dimension of security threats because the source of cyber attacks is often unclear or misleading, he said.

"Today, our adversaries can sit on a mountain range in Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world and with satellite technology, hack directly into U.S. government records," Blunt said.

He added, "Our adversaries posses the ability to steal your identity or to conduct a nuclear attack from the comfort of their Internet connection thousands of miles away."

Blunt said intelligence officials are most concerned with America's vulnerability cybersecurity, whether it's government workers' information being compromised or a private company, or cyber hackers delving into the U.S.' weapons system or financial structure.

Blunt said cyber attacks are persistent and are often sophisticated and massive. He discussed the three types of cyber hackers and their distinguishing targets and primary motives - hacktivists, networks of cybercriminals and state-sponsored cyber intruders.

The senator also emphasized the significance of America's leadership in global affairs and what happens when the U.S. chooses to retract its involvement.

"There's no question since the end of World War II that the U.S. has carried a disproportionate load in the world," he said.

With the United State's emergence as a global power following the war, the nation's leaders are compelled to take action in foreign matters when deemed necessary. When the country does not take appropriate action or relays unclear messages about its diplomatic intentions to other nations, it creates opportunity for hostile countries with devious political agendas, Blunt said.

"The leadership void that we leave is a great one," he said. "Regrettably, today our allies seem to be more bewildered on what our policy often is, and our enemies are encouraged as they look at our unwillingness to take the kind of stance that America took in the past. Our friends frankly don't trust us, and our enemies aren't afraid of us. In a dangerous world, that's a very dangerous place to be."

Blunt mentioned how the U.S. has been unable to define its policy in Iraq and Syria and how American allies also struggle with defining our policy. They continue to express concern and confusion about U.S. leaders unable to articulate U.S. policy. Consequently, Blunt said, they've turned to new countries for assistance that they've never considered before. An example Blunt provided that branches off this idea is that once a country like Iran wants nuclear capabilities, neighboring countries skeptical or distrusting of Iran's intentions will want the same nuclear research rights.

Blunt said less American presence, involvement and engagement in the world almost always becomes a rush of emergency decisions that don't produce the type of results the U.S. would anticipate.

Before ending his speech, the senator stressed the importance of not leading from behind.

"It's not a question of whether America should lead, but how it should lead, and that is an important part of who we are," Blunt said.

All classes are canceled during the two-day event so students and faculty can attend the lectures, panel discussions and presentations by experts on various topics addressing international security issues. The theme of this year's symposium is timely, as Westminster recently announced the addition of a security studies major.