The US Department of Commerce has recently announced a new rule that prevent the sale of hacking tools to China and Russia, The Washington Post reports.
In a press release on Wednesday, The Commerce Department outlined the new change, which requires US companies to have a license in order to sell spyware and other hacking software to countries of national security or weapons of mass destruction concern.
The rule is complex and purposefully so. If a US company wants to export spyware to a government that poses a national security concern, the company would need a license. But if the software is specifically for cyber defense and not sold to anyone associated with the government, no license would be needed.
According to The Post, companies will need a license to export hacking software and equipment to China, Russia, and other listed nations, whether for cyber defense or not.
The US Secretary of Commerce, Gina M. Raimondo said: “The United States is committed to working with our multilateral partners to deter the spread of certain technologies that can be used for malicious activities that threaten cybersecurity and human rights.”
The rule is set to go into effect in late January and targets tools and software like Pegasus.
Security officials who spoke to The Post say that the US took so long to create the rule due to its complexity — if done incorrectly, having such a limitation could prevent cybersecurity specialists from collaborating with experts from other countries.
The Department of Commerce is allowing a period of 45 days for public comment and then another 45 days to make any additional changes before it officially goes into effect.
