President Trump Signs Memo Allowing Private Firms To Conduct Offensive Cyber Atacks Against Criminal Groups Targeting Americans

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 authorises

According 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 run

The 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 idea

The 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.

Published on: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 04:41 PM IST