Obama Announces Hacker Sanctions Amid Cyber-Security ‘National Emergency’

An executive order signed by President Barack Obama gives the United States government the go-ahead to sanction suspected cyber-criminals with financial and travel restrictions amid a wave of high-profile hacks.

Citing the surge of assaults against the computer networks of US entities in recent months, Pres. Obama said Wednesday that he has declared a “national emergency” and accordingly authorized the US Treasury Department to sanction suspected hackers operating abroad in an effort to discourage future cyber-assaults.

Whelp that means that if your "roommate" decides to engage is some "fishy" Activity then you might be subject to the sanctions.

Specifically, the order says an individual can be sanctioned if the government believes them to be involved in a cyberattack that harms, compromises or disrupts a computer network integral to critical US infrastructure. Also subject to sanctions, however, are any persons purported to have electronically pilfered or otherwise intercepted trade secrets or financial information with the intent of achieving monetary gain.

Given that the executive order authorizes action to be taken against entities accused of assisting “deliberate activities accomplished through unauthorized access to a computer system,” though, concerns have already gave way regarding the possible use of the directive to censor foreign news outlets depending on how their source material has been obtained. Marcy Wheeler, an independent national security reporter formerly with The Intercept, wrote on her blog on Wednesday that there is the possibility that the administration might use the executive order to target foreign entities that disclose secret documents if they happened to be acquired in a method the doesn’t cut the administration’s mustard.

You can read through the whole order HERE Its about 6 pages .


"National Security & "terrorism".... Powerful words eh ?


Anyway what do you think ATS ?

Kap

You guys notice that this protects big corporations or influential people but does nothing to protect the common person at all. We are on our own.

a reply to: Kapusta

I think this is a terribly impractical idea. Sanctioning cyber-criminals? So we're going to freeze their US assets and prevent them from entering the country? They STEAL all of their money! We need a cybercrime police force, not #ing economic sanctions.

a reply to: Kapusta

Guilty without charges. They can sanction a person JUST if they suspect them! I don't like the way the big boys are handling this. If a person is guilty until proven innocent, where is the Justice in that? As each day goes by and I see new laws like this written, it makes me notice how unsafe it's gotten to live in the good old USA. Kind of like if you lived in Nazi Germany, and were "suspected" of hiding Jews in your home. They killed many of those "suspects" in WWII.

Just think about how many "undesirables" they will be able to get rid of this way... I wonder if any of the accused will be allowed a fair trial with all the shenanigans that they can pull now? You had better mind all of your p's and q's if you want to keep the little freedom that you have these days. I wonder how long it will be until people are getting locked up because they have an "unacceptable" political belief? By my reckoning, it cannot be too far off.

a reply to: Kapusta

Curious...those ATSers who voted to re-elect Obama...are you honestly pleased with his performance?

This reeks of intended but *wink* unintended consequences.

Looks like we will be seeing some provocative set-ups.

Vengeance is powerful.

originally posted by: rickymouse
You guys notice that this protects big corporations or influential people but does nothing to protect the common person at all. We are on our own.

unfortunately its been this way for some time now .

I am curious to know if they will file "pirating Music" under National security.

a reply to: Kapusta

I know this is important. I do not yet understand it - scanned the documents, did not read and analyze. But it doesn't look good.

F&S& for an important find.

I notice Obama can call our own citizens terrorists, but heaven forbid we call someone from the Middle East, from Isis a terrorist. No, they're "disenfranchised" or some other stupid creative word of the day. But we? We're terrorists and will be treated as such.

Big brother just keeps on growing bigger.