Cyber criminals often operate through online forums, selling illicit goods and services, including tools that lower the barrier to entry for aspiring criminals and that can be used to facilitate malicious cyber activity.

The FBI is engaged in a myriad of efforts to combat cyber threats, from improving threat identification and information sharing inside and outside of the government to developing and retaining new talent, to examining the way we operate to disrupt and defeat these threats.

We must build toward the future so that we are prepared to deal with the threats we will face at home and abroad and understand how those threats may be connected.

The inability to access evidence or intelligence despite the lawful authority to do so significantly impacts the FBI's ability to identify, investigate, prosecute, or otherwise deter criminals, terrorists, and other offenders.

The threat from unmanned aircraft systems in the U.S. is steadily escalating.

Terrorists in ungoverned spaces - both physical and cyber - readily disseminate propaganda and training materials to attract easily influenced individuals around the world to their cause. They motivate these individuals to act at home or encourage them to travel.

The FBI assesses HVEs are the greatest terrorism threat to the homeland.

ISIS uses traditional media platforms as well as widespread social media campaigns to propagate its ideology. With the broad distribution of social media, terrorists can spot, assess, recruit, and radicalize vulnerable persons of all ages in the U.S. either to travel to foreign lands or to conduct an attack on the homeland.

As the threat to harm the United States and U.S. interests evolves, we must adapt and confront these challenges, relying heavily on the strength of our federal, state, local, and international partnerships.

Just as our adversaries evolve, so, too, must the FBI.

Our adversaries - terrorists, foreign intelligence services, and criminals - take advantage of modern technology to hide their communications; recruit followers; and plan, conduct, and encourage espionage, cyber attacks, or terrorism to disperse information on different methods to attack the U.S. homeland and to facilitate other illegal activities.

As Americans, we should all be concerned by the potential for any company beholden to a foreign government - especially one that doesn't share our values - to burrow into the American telecommunications market.

The prosperity that drives our economic security is inherently linked to our national security. And the immense influence that the Chinese government holds over Chinese corporations like Huawei represents a threat to both.

In pursuit of their commercial ambitions, Huawei relied on dishonest business practices that contradict the economic principles that have allowed American companies and the United States to thrive.

It's going to take all of us working together to protect our economic security and our way of life. The American people expect and deserve no less.

The Chinese government's not pulling any punches. They want what we have so they can get the upper hand on us. And they're highly strategic in their approach - they're playing the long game.

Healthy competition is good for the global economy. Criminal conduct is not. Rampant theft is not. Cheating is not.

Our adversaries are trying to undermine our country on a persistent and regular basis, whether it's election season or not.

There's a clear distinction between activities that threaten the security and integrity of our election systems, and the broader threat from influence operations designed to influence voters.

Technology companies have a front-line responsibility to secure their own networks, products, and platforms.

We need to hold ourselves accountable for the work we do and the choices we make.

The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. To carry out that mission, we're entrusted with a lot of authority, so our actions are subject to close oversight - from the courts, from our elected leaders, and from independent entities like the inspector general.

As the Director of the FBI, I am committed to ensuring that the Bureau is being transparent and responsive to legitimate congressional requests.

It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as Director. I long ago grew to know and admire the FBI from my earliest days as a line prosecutor to my years as assistant attorney general.