Quantum, AI, and Cloud: Examining Opportunities, Vulnerabilities, and the Future of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
2025-12-17
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Source: Congress.gov
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Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection and Subcommittee on Oversight Investigations and Accountability will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare the committee in recess at any point. The purpose of this hearing is to examine how rapid advances in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cloud technologies are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape in ways that affect both U.S. defensive capabilities and the operational reach of our adversaries. The hearing will also assess how the adoption and governance of AI, cloud infrastructure, and post-quantum security measures are strengthening or, in some cases, exposing U.S. critical infrastructure, federal systems, and sensitive data, and what steps government and industry must take to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving threats. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning and thank you all for being here. I want to begin by thanking Chairman McKean and members of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability for partnering with my subcommittee to hold this hearing. The issues before us today affect national security, economic competitiveness, and public trust, and they deserve attention that reflects their scale and importance. We are meeting at a time when the technology shaping our digital environment are also shaping the security and strength of the United States. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and quantum technologies are now woven into how federal, state, and local governments operate, how intelligence is collected and analyzed, how critical infrastructure functions, and how American companies compete in a global economy. These technologies offer extraordinary promise, but they also introduce risks that are advancing faster than many of the frameworks and systems designed to manage them. Artificial intelligence is changing the pace and character of cyber activity. It allows information to be processed at speeds far beyond human capacity, and perhaps in some ways, even comprehension.
It enables automation across complex networks and supports decision making at scale. These capabilities can strengthen cyber defense and improve resilience. However, they can also be exploited to accelerate malicious activities, expand the reach of cyber operations, and make hostile actions more difficult to detect, attribute, and disrupt. Cloud computing has amplified both opportunity and risk. Cloud platforms have enabled modernization across government and industry, supporting flexibility, scalability, and innovation. Yet, they also consolidate vast amounts of data, access, and computing power into shared environments, raising the stakes of security, configuration, and oversight decisions. Quantum technologies present a longer-term challenge with significant implications. Much of our digital security relies on encryption to protect sensitive communications, verify identities, and secure critical systems. Advances in quantum computing raises serious questions about whether today's encryption methods will remain effective in the future. Our adversaries understand this risk and are already planning, including by collecting encrypted data now with the expectation that it may be accessed later. The threat environment surrounding these developments is intensifying. The People's Republic of China, PRC, and the Russian Federation, the RF, are investing heavily in advanced computing, automation, and data exploitation as tools of national power. They view artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and emerging technologies as means to gain strategic advantage, conduct sustained cyber and intelligence operations, and operate below the threshold of an open or kinetic conflict. China in particular has pursued a model that tightly integrates government, military, academia, and the private sector. This approach allows innovations developed for commercial purposes to be adapted quickly for state use.
In cyberspace, it supports operations built for scale and persistence, including the use of automated tools to scan networks, identify vulnerabilities, manage stolen credentials, and analyze large volumes of data across many targets simultaneously. At the same time, these technologies provide the United States with powerful tools to strengthen security and resilience. Artificial intelligence can improve threat detection and response. Cloud computing can enhance reliability and operational flexibility. Advances in quantum research may ultimately yield new security capabilities, but also there's a downside. The challenge lies in ensuring these benefits are realized without introducing vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit. Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, play an essential role in this effort. Their work on cloud security practices, artificial intelligence, risk management, and preparation for future changes in encryption help shape how federal agencies and critical infrastructure operators address emerging threats. Congress also has an important responsibility. Oversight helps ensure that security keeps pace with adoption, that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and that risks are addressed early rather than after they've created serious harm. This is not about slowing innovation. This is about making sure innovation strengthens the nature rather than exposing it. The decision being made now about how artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and quantum technologies are secured will shape the country's security, prosperity for years to come, and I would argue also our role as the, quite frankly, sole superpower. I appreciate our witnesses for being here. I look forward to their testimony and the discussion ahead. I now recognize the ranking member for the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Thanadar, for his opening statement.
Thank you, Chairman Ogles. Appreciate this hearing and good morning to all of our witnesses. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. For two decades, hostile nations have conducted increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks against the United States. These attacks have been used to spy, steal intellectual property, cripple critical infrastructure, and demand ransom payments.
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