Hitting back at hackers: debate swirls on how far to go

Drawn to stars: Majerczyk targeted celebrities, going through their personal information and downloading sensitive images.

WASHINGTON: After a seemingly endless barrage of cyberattacks, debate is heating up on hitting back at hackers where it hurts. 

Amid calls for ways to punish and deter hackers without sparking a so-called “cyber war,” a panel of experts assembled by the George Washington University Centre for Cyber and Homeland Security said in a report Monday that US policies should be eased to allow “active defence” measures by both the government and private sector.