Srsly Risky Biz: Trump's Private Hacker Memo Is the Right Idea
A Trump presidential memo directs DHS to authorize vetted private-sector hackers to conduct cyber operations against foreign cybercriminal groups (CE-TCOs).
A presidential memorandum directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish a program authorizing private companies to conduct cyber surveillance and cyber effects operations against Cyber-Enabled Transnational Crime Organisations (CE-TCOs). Participating companies must pass vetting, obtain government approval before operations, and post a USD $1 million bond. The accompanying fact sheet cites more than USD $20.8 billion in US losses to cyber-enabled crime in 2025. Critics worry about accidental escalation if operations touch foreign government systems.
- Private companies gain authority for cyber operations previously restricted to state entities
- Targets limited to non-government cybercrime groups harming US persons or interests
- FBI, NSA, and Cyber Command capacity gaps leave hundreds of crime groups uncontested
- Operations require pre-approval by Justice and Homeland Security program directors
- Critics concerned about escalation risks and retaliation against company employees
- Threat actors
- Cyber-Enabled Transnational Crime Organisations
- Victims
- United States
- Organizations
- Department of Homeland Security
- Countries
- United States
From the original article
9 min read at news.risky.biz
Your weekly dose of Seriously Risky Business news is written by Tom Uren and edited by Amberleigh Jack and Patick Gray. This week's edition is sponsored by Socket Security. You can hear a podcast discussion of this newsletter by searching for "Risky Business News" in your
By Tom Uren · news.risky.biz
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