U.S. Officials Push New Penalties for Hackers of Electrical Grid

Red line set for cyberattacks on infrastructure after Russian agents penetrated utility control rooms

Top administration officials are devising new penalties to hit back more forcefully at state-sponsored hackers of critical infrastructure to deter attacks such as the successful penetration of U.S. utilities by Russian agents last year.

The push for explicit action is coming from top federal agencies to fight worsening threats to the country’s electricity system and other critical industries, particularly menacing actions from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

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