President Donald Trump has signed a national security memorandum that enables private sector companies to participate in offensive hacking operations against transnational criminal organizations. This move is a response to the sustained fraud and cyber-enabled campaigns perpetrated by these groups, which have prompted the White House to take action. The memorandum builds upon a fraud-focused executive order issued in March, aiming to leverage the expertise of private sector entities to combat cybercrime. By involving private companies, the government seeks to enhance its capabilities to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations' cyber operations. The move is significant, as it marks a shift towards collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to counter cyber threats, so it matters to cybersecurity practitioners who must now consider the potential implications of private sector involvement in offensive hacking operations1.
Trump turns to private sector in offensive hacking operations memo
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Why This Matters
The White House said sustained fraud and other cyber-enabled campaigns from transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) warranted the memo, and cited a fraud-focused executive orde
References
- CyberScoop. (2026, August 13). Trump turns to private sector in offensive hacking operations memo. CyberScoop. https://cyberscoop.com/trump-memo-private-sector-offensive-hacking/
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