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Trump turns to private sector in offensive hacking operations memo
Trump signed a national security memorandum authorizing vetted private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against transnational criminal organizations under federal oversight.
The memorandum creates a federal coordination center program authorizing 'Participating Companies' to conduct Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations. Participating firms must contract with the Justice Department or Department of Homeland Security, undergo vetting, and comply with existing laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The White House cited sustained fraud and cyber-enabled campaigns from TCOs as justification, building on a March fraud-focused executive order. Experts including Veracode co-founder Chris Wysopal called it a major shift in U.S. cyber policy, though it stops short of broader 'hack back' proposals.
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US Authorizes Private Cyber Firms to Hack Transnational Criminal Networks
Trump signed a national security memorandum letting vetted private US cybersecurity firms run government-approved offensive cyber operations against transnational criminal organizations.
The August 13 memorandum creates a program managed by the National Coordination Center covering Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against Cyber-Enabled Transnational Criminal Organizations, explicitly excluding entities that are parts of foreign governments. DOJ and DHS executive directors must co-approve every operation in writing, with extra authorization for operations raising laws-of-armed-conflict questions. Participating firms must pass vetting, annual evaluations and hold a $1 million bond or escrow. Operating procedures are due within 60 days, and the unresolved CFAA exemption question is addressed by requiring direct government control.
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White House authorizes private US companies to hack foreign criminal networks
Trump memorandum authorizes vetted private US companies to conduct government-supervised offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal networks.
The National Security Presidential Memorandum signed August 12 lets vetted private companies run offensive cyber operations against transnational criminal organizations behind ransomware, phishing and sextortion, under US government oversight. The Homeland Security Task Force's National Coordination Center, led by DOJ and DHS executive directors, must give written approval for both Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations. Participating companies must post a $1 million bond or escrow, undergo annual review, and notify authorities if they unintentionally target US persons or systems.
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Trump taps cyber firms to go on offensive against criminals
Presidential memorandum allows vetted private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against transnational cybercrime with advance DOJ and DHS approval.
A presidential memorandum released Wednesday lets vetted US companies partner with the Justice and Homeland Security departments on offensive operations and surveillance targeting transnational cybercrime, fraud and predatory schemes, with written pre-approval required for every operation. Operations may not cause loss of life or rise to the level of use of force or armed attack under international law. Participating firms face penalties of at least $1 million for contract violations, must disclose all contractual relationships, and face annual evaluation, while agencies have two months to develop participation standards. The move builds on a March executive order; the White House says Americans reported $20.8 billion in cyber-related losses last year.
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Risky Bulletin: White House lets private companies carry out offensive cyber ops
A White House memo directs DHS to create a program letting vetted private companies conduct US-government-directed offensive cyber operations against cybercrime.
A presidential memo tasks the DHS National Coordination Center with building a program, under DOJ and DHS oversight, through which private-sector companies can conduct offensive cyber operations against large-scale cybercrime organizations. Requirements include secure facilities, vetted personnel, a $1 million escrow for damages, and written approvals co-signed by DHS and DOJ executive directors. The program must launch within 60 days, around October 11, expanding a March executive order targeting scam compounds, ransomware, and other large-scale cybercrime.
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Trump Memo Paves Way for U.S. Firms to Hack and Disrupt Foreign Crime Groups
Trump White House memo directs NCC to build a program within 60 days authorizing vetted U.S. companies to conduct cyber surveillance and effects operations against foreign criminal groups.
A new White House memorandum instructs the National Coordination Center to establish, within 60 days, a program letting vetted private-sector companies, under federal oversight, conduct cyber surveillance operations (accessing sensitive data without authorization) and cyber effects operations (disruption, degradation, or destruction) against foreign Transnational Criminal Organizations. Targets are groups conducting cyber-enabled crime against U.S. government, persons, or interests that are not institutionally part of a foreign government. Companies must stop operations exceeding approved parameters, run minimization procedures, and alert the NCC, which notifies the Department of Justice. The fact sheet cites an estimated $20.8 billion in reported U.S. consumer losses to cyber-enabled crimes, and experts note legal and security risks since existing laws prohibit private companies from offensive cyber without court authorization.
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A bold new strategy or a dangerous precedent? Experts are divided on Trump's memo.
Trump presidential memorandum authorizes private-sector companies to conduct federally supervised hacking operations against transnational criminal organizations.
A newly signed presidential memorandum enlists private companies in federal law enforcement hacking operations aimed at transnational criminal organizations, with a 60-day window to establish the program. Experts told CyberScoop the shift raises attribution, targeting and constitutional questions, including risks of private firms accidentally attacking foreign governments and procedures for prior approval before targeting US persons. Critics likened the approach to historical letters of marque, while supporters including NSC cyber policy director Amanda Naylor framed it as bringing private-sector speed to the fight against cybercrime and fraud.
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US Sanctions Russia and Expels 10 Diplomats Over SolarWinds Cyberattack
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Australia charges two men for TeamPCP supply
Australia charged two Perth men over TeamPCP supply-chain attacks compromising 1,000+ organizations and exposing 500,000+ credentials.
The AFP charged two Perth-based men with a combined 14 offences for their alleged roles in TeamPCP, with payments in cryptocurrency for data intrusion, identity crime, and money laundering. The group's supply-chain attacks targeted developer tools including TanStack, Trivy, and LiteLLM, with downstream victims including the European Commission and GitHub. Investigators estimate the campaign compromised over 1,000 organizations, exposed more than 500,000 credentials, and led to theft of at least 300 GB of data, with remediation costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The men could face a combined 82 years if given maximum sentences, though sentences are typically served concurrently.
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Eight years later, federal authorities re-up charges against alleged Iranian hackers at Mabna Institute
US prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment charging 17 Iranians in the Mabna Institute's state-sponsored theft of 31.5 terabytes from universities and companies.
The superseding indictment unsealed in the Southern District of New York charges 17 people affiliated with Tehran's Mabna Institute, adding eight defendants to the 2018 indictment of nine. The institute allegedly compromised over 100,000 professor email accounts worldwide, including 8,000 accounts at 144 US universities, and stole at least 31.5 terabytes of academic journals, dissertations, and e-books. US universities spent approximately $3.4 billion procuring the stolen data, and victims also included at least five federal and state agencies, 42 US companies, and 11 foreign companies including HBO. The State Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information on four of the defendants.
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