1、CRS InsightsAttribution in Cyberspace: Challenges for U.S. Law EnforcementKristin Finklea, Specialist in Domestic Security (kfinkleacrs.loc.gov, 7-6259)April 17, 2015 (IN10259)Who did it? Attribution, some may argue, is a challenge as old as crime and punishment. In the cyber realm too, criminal att
2、ribution is a key delineating factor between cybercrime and other threats. When investigating a given incident, law enforcement is challenged with tracing the action to its source and determining whether the actor is a criminal or whether the actor may be a terrorist or state actor posing a potentia
3、lly greater national security threat.Blurry lines between various types of malicious activity in cyberspace may make it difficult for investigators to attribute an incident to a specific individual or organization. Without knowing the criminal intent or motivation, some activities of cybercriminals
4、and other malicious actors may appear on the surface to be similar, causing confusion as to whether a particular action should be associated with a criminal or other actor. Further, the speed and anonymity of cyber attacks makes distinguishing among the actions of terrorists, criminals, and nation s