Day: April 4, 2026

Legislative Reform: Congress is debating the SECURE Act, a major counterintelligence reform effort – Google Search  google.com/search?q=Legislat…
Pic.: The SECURE Act empowers US counterintelligence to go on offense
thehill.com/opinion/national…
AI Overview
As of late 2025, Congress is advancing the Strategic Enhancement of Counterintelligence and Unifying Reform Efforts Act—or the SECURE Act—as part of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (H.R. 5167). [1, 2]
This legislation represents a major overhaul aimed at addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. counterintelligence (CI) system, shifting it from a reactive, law-enforcement-centric model to a more proactive, offensive posture. [3, 4, 5]
Key Aspects of the SECURE Act (119th Congress, 2025-2026):

Redefining Counterintelligence: The Act amends the National Security Act of 1947 to expand the definition of counterintelligence, allowing agencies to not only “protect against” but also “deter, disrupt, investigate, exploit” foreign intelligence operations.
National Counterintelligence Center: The legislation establishes a new National Counterintelligence Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), headed by a Senate-confirmed Director who will serve as the principal advisor to the President on CI matters.
Proactive Capabilities: The proposed reforms aim to utilize deception techniques to neutralize foreign spies and counter intelligence threats from nation-states, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Congressional Transparency: The House Intelligence Committee has included provisions requiring the FBI to notify Congress when it initiates a counterintelligence investigation into a candidate for or holder of federal office.
Modernization & AI: The act aims to speed up the usage of artificial intelligence in the Intelligence Community (IC) and strengthen cyber requirements for vendors. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Context and Status:House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford developed the legislation in response to reports of a permissive US landscape allowing foreign spies to operate with impunity. The House and Senate have been navigating the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2026 through the committee process in late 2025, with experts calling for rapid implementation to avoid a 9/11-scale intelligence failure. [2, 4, 8]
Note: The SECURE Act discussed in the context of counterintelligence reform (H.R. 5167) is distinct from the 2019/2022 “SECURE Act” retirement legislation that has updates taking effect in 2026. [9]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  congress.gov/bill/119th-cong…
[2]  intelligence.house.gov/2025/…
[3]  intelligence.house.gov/2025/…
[4]  intelligence.house.gov/2025/…
[5]  intelligence.house.gov/2025/…
[6]  warner.senate.gov/public/ind…
[7]  congress.gov/bill/119th-cong…
[8]  intelligence.senate.gov/2025…
[9]  fidelity.com/learning-center…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Apr 4, 2026

Permissive US landscape allowing foreign spies to operate with impunity – Google Search  google.com/search?q=permissi…
A “permissive landscape” in the U.S. has allowed foreign spies to operate with increased impunity, prompting calls for a major counterintelligence reset. The current system is described as disjointed, with intelligence agencies needing more proactive, disruptive strategies against adversaries rather than just defensive measures. [1]
Key Aspects of the Permissive Environment

Need for Proactive Defense: U.S. counterintelligence is viewed as lagging behind, needing to evolve from passive protection to actively “deter, disrupt, investigate, [and] exploit” foreign intelligence operations.
Espionage Exposure: Issues have surfaced regarding high-level security access, with reports of individuals with potential links to hostile foreign nations, or incomplete background checks, accessing sensitive information.
Data Vulnerabilities: Recent efforts to protect American data from foreign adversaries include the Justice Department’s Data Security Program (implemented April 2025), which aims to restrict access to sensitive personal data (biometric, health, financial). [1, 2, 3]

Counterintelligence Challenges

Volume of Intelligence Threats: Officials report increasing weekly intelligence briefs concerning counterintelligence (CI) threats, indicating a high volume of foreign intelligence activities within the U.S..
The “Double Standard” of Spying: The US faces a challenge in defining spying, as it often condemns foreign espionage while viewing its own intelligence gathering as legitimate, making it difficult to prosecute all foreign actors.
Internal Security Risks: Some entities have been described as having major security gaps, with instances of foreign entities, particularly from nations deemed hostile, trying to infiltrate or influence U.S. organizations. [1, 2, 4]

Proposed Reforms

(NCSC) is focused on a new 2024 strategy to aggressively disrupt foreign espionage and disinformation before it is implemented.Proactive Strategies: TheNational Counterintelligence and Security Center
Resetting Counterintelligence: There are proposals for a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. counterspy system to make it less disjointed and more effective. [1, 5]
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 continues to be a central, albeit debated, tool for intelligence gathering, with significant discussions on its reauthorization due to its implications for both national security and privacy. [6, 7, 8]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  intelligence.house.gov/2025/…

[2]  youtube.com/watch?v=JO6vz3LD…
[3]  justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-d…
[4]  cjil.uchicago.edu/print-arch…
[5]  japan-forward.com/new-us-cou…
[6]  notus.org/congress/spy-power…
[7]  fbi.gov/how-we-investigate/i…
[8]  therecord.media/nsa-pick-cha…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Apr 4, 2026