Justice Department official says hack-back bill will prompt useful talks on balancing risks

The Justice Department has not yet taken a position on recently introduced House legislation that seeks to establish the conditions for a company to hack back in pursuit of stolen data, but the bill offers a useful snapshot of ongoing discussions about balancing risks in seeking an eventual policy consensus on an active defensive strategy against cyber attacks, according to a key DOJ official.

The legislation encapsulates “the discussions around” hacking back and “what are the potential harms” of adopting...