Cyber Sanctions

The U.S. Department of State works with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other U.S. government agencies to identify individuals and entities whose conduct meets the criteria set forth in the sanctions authorities listed below, and designate them for sanctions under the delegated authority of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Persons designated under this authority are added to OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List).

In Executive Order 13694 , issued on April 1, 2015, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States constituted by the increasing prevalence and severity of malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States.  E.O. 13694 authorized sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for or complicit in certain malicious cyber-enabled activities.

Executive Order 13757  was issued on December 28, 2016, and amends E.O. 13694 to additionally authorize sanctions on individuals and entities related to interfering with or undermining elections processes or institution.