The department would then be able to sue Web-hosting firms and other third parties and get court approval to seize Web addresses or shut down hosting companies to , former FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry told Reuters Wednesday.
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. Henry said Justice officials briefed him on the plan, which dates to before he left the agency in March.
"The Department of Justice's national security division has started to take a much more aggressive approach," Henry said in the interview. "It is looking at actions it can take to hold governments accountable" and "create some disruption to the adversary."
If it goes forward, the expansion of the Justice Department's fight against cyberattacks would be another way for the Obama administration to act against what has been warning is an enormous risk to the country's national and economic security.
Henry said increased sharing of information and the establishment of security standards for critical infrastructure that could be sabotaged were also essential.
are included in a Senate bill that has recently been softened to overcome Republican and business objections. The legislation has the support of the Obama administration and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but it differs substantially from a House version, and the political dynamics of the election year will make compromise difficult.
