Working with multiple federal agencies, the White House is reportedly readying sanctions against Chinese state-owned companies that have benefited from U.S. corporate secrets obtained by cybertheft. “If sanctions are ultimately imposed, it could affect the ability of those firms to access U.S. financial markets and trade with American companies, and could even hamper the ability of their executives to travel to the United States,” reports The Wall Street Journal. While posing a diplomatic challenge (Beijing has denied any involvement), sanctions would likely be a significant step toward quelling criticism that the government has failed to adequately respond to cyberattacks against American companies.