Report: US weighs sanctioning Russia, China in cyber attacks

MOSCOW, Sep 1 (PRIME) -- The U.S. is considering sanctions against both Russian and Chinese individuals and companies for cyberattacks against U.S. commercial targets, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing several U.S. officials.

No final decision had been made on imposing sanctions, which could strain relations with Russia further and, if they came soon, cast a pall over a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, the unnamed official said.

The Washington Post first reported the Obama administration was considering sanctioning Chinese targets, possibly within the next few weeks, and said that individuals and firms from other nations could also be targeted. It did not mention Russia.

A move against Chinese entities or individuals before Xi’s trip, the officials said, is possible but unlikely because of the strain it could put on the top-level diplomatic visit, which will include a black-tie state dinner at the White House hosted by President Barack Obama.

“The Chinese government staunchly upholds cyber security, firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law,” Chinese Embassy spokesman Zhu Haiquan said in a statement.

China wants enhanced dialogue and cooperation with the U.S. and that “groundless speculation, hyping up or accusation is not helpful to solve the problem”, he said.

The Russian Embassy did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The U.S. government has suffered a series of embarrassing cyberattacks in recent months, including one on the White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that potentially provided a treasure trove of data about government employees to foreign spies.

U.S. officials suspect that attack was linked to China, which has denied any involvement in hacking U.S. databases and says it too has been a victim of cyberattacks.

The sanctions Washington is currently considering would not target suspected hackers of government data, but rather foreign citizens and firms believed responsible for cyberattacks on commercial enterprises, one official said.

If taken, the action would be the administration’s first use of an executive order signed by Obama in April to crack down on foreign hackers accused of penetrating U.S. computer systems.

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