President Biden today extended the term of a 2015 executive order signed by President Obama that declared a national emergency regarding “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities” by people located outside of the United States.
Executive Order 13694 was due to expire later this year unless extended. The notice sent by President Biden does not state an end date for the order but says the order will continue in effect past April 1 of this year.
“Significant malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” President Biden said in a notice to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13694 with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.”
The order originally issued by President Obama freezes U.S.-based assets of any person judged by the Treasury Department to be involved with cyber activities against the U.S. conducted by non-U.S. persons, including attacks against computer networks and critical infrastructure sectors.
