offensive cyber2 articles
Trump Signs Off on Private Sector Hack-Back Operations Against Cybercriminals
President Trump has signed a memo authorising US government agencies to contract private cybersecurity firms to conduct offensive cyber operations — including surveillance and network disruption — against cyber-enabled transnational criminal organisations (CE-TCOs), excluding entities acting on behalf of foreign governments. Participating companies must undergo rigorous vetting, meet annual technical evaluations, maintain at least $1 million in bond or escrow, and are prohibited from operations that could cause loss of life or be considered an act of war. Legal experts have raised concerns about whether existing laws, particularly the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, adequately cover private companies conducting such government-directed operations, though a key exemption may offer some protection.
White House Outsources Cyber Offence to Private Firms in Unprecedented Anti-Crime Push
The White House has issued a presidential memorandum establishing a program that allows vetted private US companies to conduct offensive and intelligence-gathering cyber operations against foreign cybercrime organizations, under the supervision of a National Coordination Center co-managed by the DOJ and DHS. Participating firms must undergo rigorous vetting, sign formal contracts, and post a bond of at least $1 million, with all operations requiring written federal approval and multi-agency review before execution. The program prohibits actions that could cause loss of life, constitute an act of war, or inadvertently affect US persons or domestic systems.