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.
