President Donald Trump has signed a national security memorandum that allows private sector companies to assist law enforcement in conducting offensive hacking operations against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). This initiative aims to combat sustained fraud and other cyber-enabled crimes attributed to TCOs, as highlighted by the White House.
The memorandum establishes a federal coordination center tasked with creating a program that will authorize participating companies to conduct Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against foreign Cyber-Enabled Transnational Criminal Organizations (CE-TCOs). These operations will be under the oversight of federal law enforcement agencies.
To participate, companies must enter contracts with the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Security, undergoing rigorous vetting processes. The program is designed to comply with existing laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and mandates oversight to assess the technical capabilities of participating firms.
While some industry leaders have welcomed this development as a significant shift in U.S. cyber policy, there are concerns regarding the potential for excessive private sector involvement in offensive operations. Critics fear that this could set a dangerous precedent, leading to broader chaos in cyberspace.
For more details, see the full report by CyberScoop.
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