US cracks down on sale of hacking tools to Russia and China

The US Department of Commerce announced today that it will begin exerting more control over the sale of cybersecurity tools and surveillance software to countries that might pose a national security threat. The Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an interim rule with the intention of reigning in the "export, re-export or transfer" of certain items that it believes can be used for malicious cyber activities. "These items warrant controls because these tools could be used for surveillance, espionage, or other actions that disrupt, deny or degrade the network or devices on it," argues the BIS in the…