Updated

The White House is expected to unveil a new cybersecurity executive order Wednesday. It's being described as the most comprehensive plan yet for confronting electronic attacks on America's computer networks, or at least a good-faith effort amid an alarming tide in industrial espionage in the past year that experts blame mostly on China.

The strategy is expected to urge businesses to enforce tougher standards to protect online commerce and direct U.S. intelligence agencies to share even classified threat data with companies considered vital to the U.S. economy, such as transportation and banking.

The White House is issuing the order after a proposed cybersecurity law failed to pass in Congress last year.