May calls for new EU sanctions regime to hit back at cyber attacks

May calls for new EU sanctions regime to hit back at cyber attacks

Theresa May is to call for a “robust” new EU sanctions regime to deter cyber attacks.

Speaking at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, the Prime Minister will call for a “proportionate” response to those inflicting harm on the economies and democracies of the EU.

And she will tell fellow leaders it was time to “impose costs on all those who seek to attack us, regardless of the means they use to do so”.

Mrs May’s call comes shortly after the exposure of four suspected spies from Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency attempting to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague.

And it comes amid growing concern at Russia’s use of internet troll factories to disrupt elections and foment divisions within Western countries.

EU foreign ministers on Monday agreed a new sanctions regime on chemical weapons, tabled by the UK and France in the wake of poison attacks in Salisbury and Syria.

Now Mrs May is calling for the EU to go further and introduce similar sanctions for cyber attacks.

“Individual efforts to protect ourselves, and to call out irresponsible behaviour, are not enough,” she is expected to say.

“Malign cyber activity causes harm to our economies, and undermines our democracies. As well as protecting ourselves against attack, we must impose proportionate consequences on those who would do us harm.

“We should accelerate work on EU restrictive measures to respond to and deter cyber attacks, including a robust sanctions regime.

“I believe that we have an opportunity to show our collective political leadership.

Theresa May arrives in Brussels for the European Council summit (European Commission Audiovisual Services)

Mrs May is expected to argue that online attacks have “real-life consequences for the security and prosperity of our nations”.

“I strongly believe that malicious actors too must face the real consequences of their actions,” she will say. “The UK stands ready to share its experience of work on cyber attacks to support the development of an effective regime.”

Mrs May will say that the attempted hacking of the OPCW earlier this year was “a stark example of the very real threats that we face” but “also a clear example of where these attacks can be prevented”.

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