DOJ launches cyber unit with national security focus as China, Russia threats mount

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday a new unit within its National Security Division focused on pursuing cyber threats from nation-state and state-backed hackers, formalizing an increasingly significant part of the national security apparatus into the Justice Department’s hierarchy.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen said the new unit would allow the DOJ’s national security team “to increase the scale and speed of disruption campaigns and prosecutions of nation-state threat actors, state-sponsored cybercriminals, associated money launderers, and other cyber-enabled threats to national security.”

The DOJ has aggressively pursued state-backed cyber actors, especially those in China or North Korea. National security officials outside the DOJ have also emphasized China as a top cybersecurity concern, including the U.S.′ top cybersecurity official.

Read more: CNBC