FBI Director Christopher Wray said the evolving nature of terror groups remains a persistent threat to America, and the ability of groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic State to use social media as well as hacking and cyber attacks has increased and become more sophisticated in recent years.
“Terrorists use of social media and encryption technology has made it harder to find the messages of hate and destruction they’re spreading, and harder to pinpoint who these messages are gaining traction with here in the homeland,” Wray said at a Wednesday hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Wray also mentioned the rising concern about domestic terror incidents, especially in the wake of the Charlottesville, Va., riots in August, in which one protester was killed.
As the nation has also been focused on cyber hacks from the Russian regime during the 2016 campaign, Wray gave the committee a forecast of growing concern.
“In the cyber arena, the threats are not only increasing in scope and scale, they’re also becoming increasingly difficult to investigate,” Wray said.
“Cybercriminals have increased the sophistication of their schemes, which are now harder to detect and more resilient. What was once a comparatively minor threat – somebody hacking for fun and bragging rights and trying to prove a point, you know just so he could do it – has now turned into full-blown nation-state manipulation and a multimillion dollar business.”
Wray’s appearance before the committee is his first since being confirmed as the new director of the FBI after President Trump fired James Comey in May.
The Wednesday hearing by the Senate committee will look at threats to the American homeland, and other panelists include Elaine Duke, acting secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, and Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Much of the hearing is also expected to focus on the ongoing relief efforts for Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
