Obama targets foreign hackers and state-owned companies over cyber-attacks

Executive order creates sanctions that could potentially penalize companies in China and Russia that benefit from hacks in attempt to curtail rising threatPresident Obama on Wednesday created the first-ever sanctions program to penalize overseas hackers who engage in cyber-spying and companies that knowingly benefit from the fruits of that espionage, potentially including state-owned corporations in Russia and China.“Cyber threats pose one of the most serious economic and national security cha