N Korea Sanctions Bill Sets Precedent for Future Cyber Sanctions - Senator

Senator Cory Gardner said that the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approval of a new North Korea sanctions bill sets a precedent for future mandatory cyber sanctions.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approval of a new North Korea sanctions bill sets a precedent for future mandatory cyber sanctions, Senator Cory Gardner told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We have not done this level of sanctioning on cybersecurity before through a sanctions regime like this," Gardner said of North Korea sanctions legislation he sponsored.

Describing the bill as "unprecedented," Gardner noted that the legislation "could be a model" for future legislation against other nations that are pursuing "asymmetric tools in their cyber arsenal."

The new sanctions bill is expected to be taken up by the full Senate the week of February 8, and is expected to pass and be signed into law by President Barack Obama.

In April 2015, Obama issued an executive order permitting financial sanctions against individuals and entities involved in malicious cyber activities.

The latest round of US sanctions against North Korea followed Pyongyang's January 8 nuclear weapon test.