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White House sets rules for private firms to carry out cyber ops abroad
The program requires participating contractors to post at least $1 million in bond or escrow, with U.S. officials retaining operational control and requiring immediate stop and minimization if any U.S. person or U.S.-based system is affected.
President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum dated Aug. 12 that creates a program allowing vetted private companies to disrupt foreign cybercriminal networks, with the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security directing participation, according to Decrypt.
Under the plan, companies that contract with DOJ or DHS must clear a vetting process and post a bond or escrow of at least $1 million, forfeitable if they break the rules. The memo also calls for annual review and places the program inside a National Coordination Center within the Homeland Security Task Force.
Privately run operations are limited to actions that help access, surveil, disrupt, or destroy systems tied to the criminal networks, and officials keep operational control, with company action only after executive directors from DOJ and DHS review and issue written approval and direction.
The memorandum authorizes cyber surveillance operations, defined as accessing systems without permission or by exceeding authorized access, and broader offensive action aimed at networks behind ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, and sextortion. It bars operations that would cause critical outcomes, and any impact on a U.S. person or a U.S.-based system must stop immediately with minimization procedures, the White House said. Decrypt also reported the White House cited large losses from cyber-enabled crime, including $20.8 billion in 2025 losses and an $80.7 billion estimate tied to crypto scams.