US to Propose Bill against Foreign Hackers

The US House Intelligence Committee will propose a bill against foreign hackers, especially those from Russia and China, according to CNET. The new law aims to protect both government and private institutions from cyber-attacks. The legislation will also reinforce “real consequences and punishments,” according to US lawmakers.

“Cyber hackers from nation-states like China and Russia have been aggressively targeting U.S. markets, stealing valuable intellectual property, and then repurposing it and selling it as their own,” Rep. Mike Rogers told Reuters.

Last month, a group of senators proposed the “Deter Cyber Theft Act”, a similar bill aimed at increasing commercial data security. If the law is implemented, the US will also publish an annual report on the worst “offenders” targeting the country with cyber-espionage campaigns and hackings.

After The New York Times said it was hacked by Chinese-based criminals, the communist country has been accused by several other companies and governments. In March, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon warned China to put an end to cyber-attacks, claiming the US will take measures to protect itself from foreign cyber-attacks.

Mandiant, the company investigating the cyber-security breaches at The New York Times and The Washington Post, has also released a study that linked China’s People’s Liberation Army to cyber-attacks targeting the US governmental and private institutions.

According to media reports, President Obama plans to discuss China’s alleged cyber-attacks on the U.S. with President Xi Jinping. The Asian country continues to deny the accusations and says it is more a hacking victim than a perpetrator.