Safeguarding Civil Liberties in the Age of Cyber Threats

Safeguarding Civil Liberties in the Age of Cyber Threats

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Cyber threats have emerged as what many consider the most serious danger to American safety and civil rights in the 21st century. Unlike conventional warfare, cyber attacks have the potential to instantly cripple critical national infrastructure, from power grids to hospitals, with little forewarning. Both state and non-state actors now possess sophisticated capabilities to hack, spy, and weaponize access to sensitive systems against the US in destructive ways. These risks are growing exponentially as more devices, data, and aspects of daily life migrate online.

The diffuse nature of the internet means cyber threats can infringe upon fundamental civil rights and liberties in ways previous warfare could not. Hacking and surveillance risk fundamental freedoms of privacy, speech, association, identity, and autonomy. The US government now collects vast amounts of internet data on America