Trump admin to use cyber attacks against foreign criminals? Here’s what new memo says

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Aug 12) signed a national security presidential memorandum aimed at expanding the government’s ability to use cyber operations against “transnational criminal organisations” operating from abroad. The White House said the directive is intended to help federal law enforcement target foreign-based networks involved in ransomware attacks, financial fraud and other cyber-enabled crimes affecting Americans.

According to a White House fact sheet, the memorandum instructs the administration to “leverage the capability and innovation of the private sector to help conduct these cyber operations under the direction, control, and authority of the US Government.”

The directive creates a framework for private companies to work with federal, state, local, tribal and territorial agencies, as well as other private entities, to collect threat intelligence and propose cyber operations against designated criminal organisations.

A key element of the memorandum assigns the Department of Homeland Security, through the Homeland Security Task Force’s National Coordination Center, to establish a program “to conduct specific cyber operations that disrupt foreign TCOs.” The initiative will be overseen jointly by DHS and the Department of Justice.

Under federal supervision, vetted companies will be allowed to conduct “cyber surveillance operations” and “cyber effects operations” against approved targets.

“Cyber effects includes the potential ​manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation, ​or destruction of ⁠information systems, networks, physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by information systems, or information resident thereon,” the memo reads.

The memorandum defines cyber effects operations as including the “manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction of information systems, networks, physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by information systems, or information resident thereon.”

Companies participating in the program must maintain a bond or escrow of at least $1 million.

The involvement of private firms in offensive cyber activities is not unprecedented, but it has long drawn scrutiny from cybersecurity experts and former officials. Critics have warned that outsourcing cyber operations could increase the risk of escalation, unintended consequences and coordination challenges across government agencies.

The White House argues the new framework will strengthen the government’s ability to disrupt criminal organisations that exploit foreign jurisdictions to target Americans.