Legislation would designate ‘critical cyber threat actors,’ direct sanctions against them

**Rep. August Pfluger reintroduces the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act**, proposing a framework to attribute and sanction designated “critical cyber threat actors,” leveraging cyber agencies and threat intelligence firms, and elevating the Office of the National Cyber Director to lead designations; framed by the Trump administration’s deterrence-focused strategy and congressional concern after the Salt Typhoon campaign, the bill includes standard sanctions waivers and updates prior efforts, reflecting a policy response rather than a specific technical incident report.