Diyar Güldoğan
29 January 2026•Update: 29 January 2026
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) and US Cyber Command testified on Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, outlining his priorities amid what he described as an increasingly complex and urgent global threat environment.
If confirmed, Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd would replace acting NSA Director Lt. Gen. William Hartman and assume leadership of the nation’s top signals intelligence agency alongside its military cyber operations arm.
Drawing on more than six years of experience in the Indo-Pacific region, Rudd told the senators that adversarial activity has surged by the rapid and low-cost proliferation of disruptive technologies.
"My last six and a half years in the Indo-Pacific have made clear that we are witnessing a surge in adversarial activity. These complex threats are amplified by low-cost, widespread proliferation of disruptive technologies, including AI cyber capabilities and autonomous systems, which place advanced capabilities in the hands of a broader range of actors," Rudd said in his opening remarks.
Rudd warned that national security threats are no longer remote, saying they now pose immediate risks to US critical infrastructure and democratic institutions. He also emphasized the role of partnerships with industry and academia in countering those dangers.
"Through a growing ecosystem of trusted partners in industry and academia, we are developing, experimenting and rapidly improving solutions to address these challenges head on," he said.
Rudd described his leadership approach as focused on integrating the missions of the NSA and Cyber Command to defend the homeland, deter adversaries and deliver technologically advanced capabilities across all domains.
"As a leader, consumer enabler, generator and integrator of NSA and Cyber commands capabilities, my focus has been on defending the homeland, deterring adversaries and strengthening partnerships by delivering credible, technologically advanced capabilities in all domains," he said.
If confirmed, Rudd said he would prioritize increasing the speed and agility of both organizations while investing in the highly specialized workforce required to meet evolving threats.
"If confirmed, I am prepared to lead these organizations as an integrated and essential team dedicated to increasing the speed and agility of our support for the nation's toughest challenges, while cultivating and retaining a uniquely qualified workforce," Rudd said.
He added that his central focus as NSA director would be the agency’s foreign intelligence mission, stressing innovation and analytical integrity.
"My focus will be to lead the NSA in its vital foreign intelligence mission driven by the pursuit of innovation, with a commitment to unbiased, objective analysis," he said.
Rudd also stressed that China, Russia, and North Korea are all "critical threats" that the US pays attention to.
