Obama authorizes sanctions to combat cybercrime

Obama authorizes sanctions to combat cybercrime
(Image credit: Kristoffer Tripplaar-Pool/Getty Images)

President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against people, businesses, and governments that "engage in malicious cyber-enabled activities" against the U.S.

"Cyber threats pose one of the most serious economic and national security challenges to the United States, and my Administration is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to confront them," Obama said in a statement.

The first of its kind, the sanctions program would allow the Treasury Department to freeze assets and restrict the financial transactions of those deemed to have used cyberattacks to conduct espionage or disrupt U.S. commerce. The announcement comes months after the federal government last year accused North Korea of carrying out a cyberattack against Sony Pictures.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.