OFAC Reissues Cyber-Related Sanctions Regulations

Introduction

An inherent aspect of any new technology is that it doesn't take long for bad actors to figure out how it can be weaponized for nefarious purposes. Cyber-related technologies represent an increasingly dangerous area of risk for everyone, whether they are individual citizens, business and infrastructure entities, or governments. Adversaries of the U.S., including China, Russia, and North Korea have engaged in acts of cyberespionage, often intended not only to cause actual harm, but also to test our ability to counter acts of malicious cyber-intrusion. The range of cyber-attacks include attempts by China to obtain sensitive information critical to American national security and the security of our NATA partners, the hacking of cryptocurrency exchanges, ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, and disinformation activities intended to undermine our democratic processes. The U.S. government has in recent years issued a number of laws and regulations