During a Thursday confirmation hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Haugh said Section 702 has provided invaluable intelligence over the years, which has helped identify and disrupt attacks against the U.S.
“Section 702 is an irreplaceable foreign intelligence authority,” Haugh said. “It enables the intelligence community to collect against foreign persons overseas.”
“The ability to identify foreign hacking of activities in the United States, whether that be U.S. companies or individuals is a critical source to be able to do that,” he added.
Haugh also said that the surveillance authority has allowed the intelligence community to use it for different purposes, including fighting international terrorism, monitoring the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. originating from China, and “egregious acts” that Russia has committed in its war against Ukraine.
Biden nominated Haugh in May to serve as the new head of the NSA and the U.S. Cyber Command, replacing Gen. Paul Nakasone, who is expected to resign in the coming months. Haugh currently serves as the deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command.
Haugh was specifically responding to a question raised by the committee’s chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) who wanted to know whether the lieutenant general would support renewing Section 702 and how he would address privacy concerns regarding the surveillance authority.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
