US President
Barack Obama has issued an executive order which will allow economic sanctions
on US and foreign hackers. The move will enable authorities to punish
individuals, as well as entities engaged in cyber attacks.
Deutsche Welle, 1 April 2015
In a
statement issued by the White House on Wednesday, Obama said cyber threats pose
one of the most serious economic and national security challenges to the Unites
States.
The US
president also said he would "employ the authorities of my office and this
administration, including diplomatic engagement, trade policy tools, and law
enforcement mechanisms, to counter the threat posed by malicious cyber
actors."
Freeze
assets
Under the
order, the US Treasury would be able to freeze or block assets belonging to
those involved in cyber attacks on "critical" US computer networks,
such as banking systems or electric power, or the theft of data such as credit
card information.
"A new tool against cyber threats." —President Obama on @Medium: http://t.co/x6O38yRWEG #CyberSanctions
— WH National Security (@NSCPress) 1 april 2015
"Cyber
intrusions and attacks - many of them originating overseas - are targeting our
businesses, stealing trade secrets, and costing American jobs. Iranian hackers
have targeted American banks," Obama said.
Sony
Pictures hacking
In his
statement on Wednesday, the US president also referred to the alleged North
Korea cyber attack on Sony Pictures last November which disabled thousands of
computers.
In
December, the American FBI blamed North Korea for hacking the film studio over
the release of Sony Pictures' satire film, "The Interview," which
depicts a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
A month
later, Obama signed an executive order authorizing initial sanctions to punish
Pyongyang over the alleged hacking, in addition to previous US sanctions which
were directed at North Korea's nuclear program.
ksb/jil (Reuters, AFP)
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