UK threatens to name and shame state backers of cyber-attacks

Attorney general says internet cannot be allowed to descend into a 'lawless world'

Britain will name and shame foreign states that hire hackers to carry out cyber-attacks or interfere via the internet in national elections, the attorney general has warned.

In a speech referring to Russian and North Korean "campaigns of intrusion", Jeremy Wright QC called for international sanctions to be applied against countries that exploit cyberspace for illegal purposes.