The US Justice Department is restructuring its national security prosecution team to deal with cyber attacks and the threat of sensitive technology ending up in the wrong hands, as American business and government agencies face more intrusions.

The revamp, led by Assistant Attorney General John Carlin, also marks a recognition that national security threats have broadened and become more technologically savvy since the September 2001 attacks against America.

As part of the shift, the Justice Department has created a new position in the senior ranks of its national security division to focus on cyber security and recruited an experienced prosecutor, Luke Dembosky, to fill the position.

The changes come amid reports that hackers in Russia and elsewhere are targeting everyone from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union to JPMorgan Chase & Co and other financial institutions.