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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.

The Record · Aug 13, 2026Policy & legal

Australia is replacing the Essential Eight with a new cyber framework. Here’s how exposure management can help you get ahead of it.

Australia's ASD is replacing the Essential Eight with an outcomes-based Essentials series covering IT, cloud, OT and likely agentic AI, with deprecation from mid-2027.

The Australian Signals Directorate announced in June 2026 that the Essential Eight will be replaced by an outcomes-focused Essentials series structured as chapters covering enterprise IT (including identity and SaaS), cloud, OT, and likely agentic AI. Deprecation begins around mid-2027 with full retirement around mid-2028, though timelines are targets; the Essential Eight is mandatory for roughly 98 non-corporate Commonwealth entities but voluntary for private firms. Tenable argues the shift demands continuous security posture evidence via exposure management rather than point-in-time checklist assessments.

Tenable Blog · 2d agoPolicy & legal1

What the 3M ChatGPT case reveals about AI governance

3M litigation shows ChatGPT prompts can become discoverable evidence, forcing enterprises to govern AI conversation records.

In the Watson Grinding explosion litigation, an engineering expert retained by 3M had used ChatGPT, and a surfaced prompt asked the system to 'show how 3M is 0% at fault'; after an off-record deposition demand, more than 350 pages of previously unproduced ChatGPT material were provided. The author argues AI interaction histories are becoming part of decision records and discovery material, a trend the American Bar Association has already examined. Enterprises are urged to manage retention, ownership, sharing, and deletion of AI conversation logs across tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and Gemini.

CSO Online · 3d agoPolicy & legal

US disrupts Xinbi Guarantee marketplace fueling the cyber scam economy

US Treasury sanctions and DOJ seizures take down Xinbi Guarantee, a Telegram marketplace that processed $24B+ for cyber scams, freezing $52.8M.

The Treasury Department sanctioned the Chinese-language Telegram marketplace Xinbi Guarantee and two supporting firms, Anwen Technology (XinbiPay) and SafeW Technology, while the DOJ seized its Telegram channels and $52.8 million in USDT from 52 wallets. Blockchain intelligence firm Elliptic, which assisted the Secret Service, estimates Xinbi has processed at least $24 billion in transactions since 2022, making it the second-largest illicit online marketplace and a cornerstone of Southeast Asian cybercrime. Vendors sold money laundering, stolen personal data, deepfake technology, and other services for pig-butchering scams, with payments in Tether's USDT. The DOJ's Scam Center Task Force also dismantled 13 scam centers in Madagascar, arresting dozens of alleged leaders who were repatriated to China.

The Record · 7d agoPolicy & legal

U.S. Disrupts Xinbi Guarantee Scam Marketplace, Freezes $52.8 Million in Crypto

US DOJ and Treasury disrupt Xinbi Guarantee Telegram scam marketplace, sanctioning it and freezing $52.8M in USDT across 52 wallets.

The DOJ seized Xinbi Guarantee's Telegram channels and cryptocurrency wallets while OFAC sanctioned the marketplace, freezing $52.8 million in USDT from 52 wallets and bringing the Scam Center Strike Force's total restrained funds to roughly $938 million. Elliptic, which worked with the Secret Service, estimates Xinbi has processed $30 billion in transactions since around 2022, serving pig-butchering scam operators and links to North Korean hackers, Jin Bei Group, and Prince Group TCO. The strike force dismantled 13 scam compounds in Madagascar, seizing over 3,200 devices and interviewing roughly 400 arrestees, with about 30 Chinese compound leaders repatriated to China. After Tether froze funds, Xinbi began converting remaining USDT into the USDD stablecoin.

The Hacker News · 7d agoPolicy & legal

Risky Bulletin: Dutch intel services to get extensive new powers

Netherlands proposed a bill granting AIVD and MIVD expanded warrantless tapping, faster hacking powers, and forced data disclosure, citing Russia, China, and Iran threats.

The Dutch government introduced a bill greatly expanding surveillance powers of intelligence agencies AIVD and MIVD, allowing up to one year of tapping without pre-approval and simplified hacking operations against 'foreign adversaries'. Agencies could compel Dutch companies or citizens to provide data under threat of charges, share data with the private sector, and oversight bodies would merge into a new CTT board. The bill follows similar overhauls in Ireland, Germany, and France after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The newsletter also reports Moonwell hacked for $8.7M, a Cosmos EVM bug exploited for ~$3M, ShinyHunters listing McKesson with claimed hundreds of millions of records, and a pro-Kremlin DDoS claim against Norway's government network.

Risky Business News · 17d agoPolicy & legal

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.

Risky Business News · 28d agoPolicy & legal1

Private security firms will soon be allowed to hack overseas cybercriminals

A Trump administration memo authorizes private security firms to hack overseas cybercriminals, the first such private-sector authorization for cyberattacks.

The White House has authorized private-sector security firms to conduct offensive hacking operations against cybercriminals located overseas, per a Trump administration memo. Ars Technica reports this is the first time the government has authorized the private sector to perform cyberattacks. The move significantly expands the role of industry in offensive cyber operations.

Ars Technica · Security · Aug 13, 2026Policy & legal