20 year jail term for hackers who threaten US national security
The Obama administration has been lobbying congress to increase sentences for those who break into government computer networks, or potentially endanger the country's national security.
The request includes doubling the maximum prison sentence to 20 years behind bars, according to Reuters. Talks on changes to the cybersecurity bill have being going on for over a year.
Recent high-profile attacks, including attacks on the CIA, the International Monetary Fund and military contractors serve to underpin the government's concern that its cyber laws may need updating to combat today's threat.
What complicates matters is that it's no easy task to track down skilled hackers, as they are intent on keeping their anonymity. They could be based anywhere on the globe, and using any number of third-party machines, with or without authorisation, to mask their true location and identity.
