Trump signs memo allowing vetted private firms to conduct certain offensive cyber operations abroad

President Trump has formalized a directive enabling federal agencies to join forces with private technology companies. This collaboration focuses on executing proactive cyber operations against foreign criminal networks. Such a partnership enhances the government's ability to dismantle global criminal organizations. Supervised private firms will engage in focused cyber initiatives, aiming to effectively combat cybercrime through innovation and specialized resources from the private sector.

President Donald Trump has signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum permitting private companies, operating under federal control and oversight, to carry out offensive cyber operations abroad aimed at disrupting criminal organisations that target Americans.What the memo authorisesAccording to Bloomberg, the move marks an expansion of national security operations that have so far been largely carried out by government agencies, with the federal government now formally partnering with private-sector firms to conduct cyberattacks abroad. The memo refers to the targets as foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organisations, and permits vetted companies to conduct both surveillance and offensive operations against them.The White House, in a fact sheet accompanying the memo, cited ransomware attacks, financial frauds and other crimes run by these foreign-based criminal networks as the rationale for the programme. The document divides authorised private-sector activity into two categories, surveillance operations that allow firms to access foreign information systems to gather intelligence, and cyber effects operations that can involve manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation or destruction of foreign information systems, networks or infrastructure.How the programme will be runThe memo directs the Department of Homeland Security, through its Homeland Security Task Force's National Coordination Center, to set up a programme to conduct these operations, with oversight from DHS and the Department of Justice. It creates a framework under which private companies can enter into agreements with other private entities as well as federal, state, local, tribal and territorial agencies to gather threat information and propose cyber operations against these groups. Every operational package is required to go through review and written approval from the National Coordination Center, with actions that could cause death, injury or severe international escalation barred under the framework.Companies seeking to participate will have to maintain a bond or escrow of at least $1 million, which would be forfeited if they fail to comply with the terms of their agreements, according to the memo.A previously debated ideaThe concept of private-sector firms taking part in offensive cyber operations against criminal and other targets is not new and has drawn controversy in the past, with concerns raised over the risk of escalation, unintended consequences, and coordination challenges between agencies. The current memo builds on a prior executive order from March that had also sought to draw on private-sector offensive cyber capabilities, though it establishes a more defined operational structure under DHS's National Coordination Center.

The Trump administration today unveiled a new program that will allow vetted U.S. companies to conduct cyber surveillance and offensive cyber operations against foreign transnational criminal organizations. A presidential memorandum signed August 12 directs the National Coordination Center to establish and manage the program, expanding the government's fight against cybercrime by tapping the technical capabilities of the private sector. It builds on a March executive order that called for greater private-sector involvement, but goes significantly further by establishing a formal operational framework for the initiative. The White House argues that American companies possess a "critical offensive cyber advantage" whose capabilities have "historically been underutilized" in efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks operating online. There are two broad categories of authorized activity. "Cyber Surveillance Operations" can involve secretly accessing foreign information systems without authorization to gather intelligence, including information that could later be used for offensive operations. "Cyber Effects Operations," meanwhile, can result in the "manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction" of information systems, networks, or infrastructure. It's worth noting that companies will not be free to launch their own operations. The memorandum requires program officials to "review every cyber operations package and provide written approval and direction" before a participating company can act. Operations that could cause death or serious injury, or "rise to the level of use of force or armed attack under international law," are classified as "Critical Outcomes" and cannot be approved through the standard process. The program includes safeguards requiring companies to halt and report operations that unintentionally affect U.S. persons or systems, as well as any imminent threats to critical infrastructure. Read more of this story at Slashdot.