As an example, he cited two Chinese hackers indicted in December 2018 for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, and identity theft. Part of a hacking group known as APT 10, the two acted in association with the Chinese government, he said, in stealing hundreds of gigabytes of sensitive data by accessing the computer networks of more than 45 tech companies and government agencies from 2006-2018.

Russia, he said, remains a threat as well. "But Russia, in many respects, is fighting today's fight. China is fighting tomorrow's fight."

His agency's response to the burgeoning threat of cyber intrusion brings to bear the expertise and experience not just of its cyber team but also its counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, counterterrorism, and criminal divisions.



“Intelligence from FBI investigations is a critical piece of the puzzle for the U.S. intelligence community when determining who’s behind an attack," he said. "Just as our adversaries are using all the tools they’ve got to meet their objectives, we are, too.”

With an elite, rapid response cyber action team as well as multi-agency cyber task forces across the country and cyber attachés stationed in embassies around the world, the FBI has valuable global reach.

In January 2019, he said, as a result of a joint investigation by the FBI and IRS, in conjunction with partners in Belgium and Ukraine, and with Europol, the Department of Justice announced the seizure of the xDedic Marketplace, a website used to sell access to compromised computers worldwide, including access to personally identifiable information.



"We believe the website facilitated more than $68 million in fraud," he said; its victims "span the globe and all industries, including local, state, and federal government infrastructure; hospitals; 911 and emergency services; call centers; major metropolitan transit authorities; accounting and law firms; pension funds; and universities."

Bowdich also discussed efforts under way to safeguard the 2020 elections in the U.S., including classified workshops for state election officials, the establishment of a Foreign Influence Task Force composed of experts from across the bureau, and partnerships with other countries.

This is also an area in which cooperation between law enforcement, private industry, and other organizations is critical, he said—a theme echoed throughout the daylong event.