2013 U.S. Intelligence Community Worldwide Threat Assessment: Cyber Threat to Critical Infrastructure, Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Terrorism, al-Qaida, Jihad, WMD, North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. presented the 2013 annual U.S. intelligence community worldwide threat assessment in Congressional testimony on March 12th. In the published report, Clapper provides a thorough review of the status of possible threats from a wide variety of nations and terror groups. The report highlighted cyber and computer threats to the Nation, stating:

We are in a major transformation because our critical infrastructures, economy, personal lives, and even basic understanding of—and interaction with—the world are becoming more intertwined with digital technologies and the Internet. In some cases, the world is applying digital technologies faster than our ability to understand the security implications and mitigate potential risks. State and nonstate actors increasingly exploit the Internet to achieve strategic objectives, while many governments—shaken by the role the Internet has played in political instability and regime change—seek to increase their control over content in cyberspace. The growing use of cyber capabilities to achieve strategic goals is also outpacing the development of a shared understanding of norms of behavior, increasing the chances for miscalculations and misunderstandings that could lead to unintended escalation.

Threats discussed in the assessment include: GLOBAL THREATS * Cyber * Increasing Risk to US Critical Infrastructure * Eroding US Economic and National Security * Information Control and Internet Governance * Other Actors * Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime * Terrorism * Evolving Homeland Threat Landscape * The Global Jihadist Threat Overseas: Affiliates, Allies, and Sympathizers * Iran and Lebanese Hizballah * Transnational Organized Crime * WMD Proliferation * Iran and North Korea Developing WMD-Applicable Capabilities * WMD Security in Syria * Counterintelligence * Threats to US Government Supply Chains * Counterspace * Natural Resources: Insecurity and Competition * Food * Water * Minerals: China's Monopoly on Rare Earth Elements Energy * Climate Change and Demographics * Health and Pandemic Threats * Mass Atrocities * REGIONAL THREATS * Middle East and North Africa * Arab Spring * Egypt * Syria * Iran * Iraq * Yemen * Lebanon * Libya * South Asia * Afghanistan * Pakistan * India * Africa * Sudan and South Sudan * Somalia * Mali * Nigeria Central Africa * East Asia China * Regional Dynamics * Military Developments * North Korea * Russia and Eurasia Russia * Domestic Political Developments * Foreign Policy * The Military * The Caucasus and Central Asia * Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova * Latin America and the Caribbean * Mexico * Venezuela * Cuba * Haiti * Europe * Euro-Zone Crisis * Turkey * The Balkans

In addition to the 2013 assessment, this compilation includes the testimony of Clapper, plus the 2012 assessment for comparison and historical reference.