US to go on cyber offense against state actors

NEW YORK -- The U.S. will take cybersecurity to a new level, moving beyond just defending itself from intrusions to engaging in offensive cyber activity against state actors, a senior official said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan said that there must be "costs and consequences" for cyberattacks on the U.S. by state actors. Those measures include "sanctions, diplomatic activity or offensive cyber activity by the U.S., depending on the nature of the attacks," Sullivan said.