Obama Asked Intel Agencies to Draw Up List of Possible Cyber Targets Overseas

Four years after the U.S. and Israel allegedly launched the first known cyberweapon against Iran, President Barack Obama ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to draw up a list of overseas targets for possible offensive U.S. cyberattacks, according to a top-secret presidential directive obtained by the Guardian. The directive not only discusses attacking foreign targets, but authorizes the use of offensive cyber attacks in foreign nations without the consent of those nations, whenever "US national interests and equities" require such nonconsensual attacks." The directive also discusses possible cyber actions within U.S. borders, but states that any actions "intended or likely to produce cyber effects within the United States" would require the approval of the president, except in the case of an emergency, when the Defense Department and other agencies would be authorized to conduct such domestic operations without presidential approval. The document does assert that all U.S. cyber operations should conform to U.S. and international law and only work as a complement to diplomatic and military options, and that presidential approval would be required for any actions that were "reasonably likely to result in significant consequences" such as the loss of life, property damage, severe retaliation or adverse foreign policy and economic impacts.