But cybersecurity and legal experts said the hack would not be considered an act of war under international law and will likely go down in history as an act of espionage. The breached federal agencies include the Commerce Department, Treasury Department, and Department of Energy. Was the hack an 'act of war'? "Simply stealing information, as much as we don't like it, is not an act of war — it is espionage," said Benjamin Friedman, a policy director at the think tank Defence Priorities. "It may simply be a massive act of espionage that would not constitute an act of war.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 19, 2020 15:22 UTC