White House Memo Hands Private Firms License to Strike Foreign Hackers

The White House wants private companies to hack cybercriminals. What could go wrong?

The White House last week made some drastic changes to federal hacking policy, issuing a presidential memorandum that allows vetted private companies to initiate cyberattacks against hacker groups. The announcement reversed previous government policy, which prohibited companies from doing so without a court’s approval. “American businesses’ innovative capabilities have historically been underutilized in efforts to identify and disrupt criminal n…

White House Memo Hands Private Firms License to Strike Foreign Hackers

President Donald Trump signed a national security memorandum this week that clears vetted U.S. private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal networks. The five-section document, released Wednesday night, marks a sharp break from long-standing policy that barred businesses from launching their own digital attacks. Transnational criminal organizations pose a growing threat. They drained American consumers of $20.…

Trump signs memo authorizing private sector to launch cyberattacks

The move marks a significant shift, as previous administrations barred companies from “hacking back” against foreign criminal groups for fear of geopolitical blowback.

White House Releases National Security Presidential Memorandum on Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime

On August 12, 2026, the Administration published a National Security Presidential Memorandum (“NSPM”) (“Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime”) that signals the Administration’s focus on private-sector participation in offensive cyber operations by establishing a federally supervised program to enable private sector participants to conduct offensive cyber operations against “Cyber-Enabled Transnational Criminal Organ…

Hacking Back Is Back: White House to Enable Cyber Privateers

In an Aug. 12 National Security Presidential Memorandum, President Donald Trump set out guidance for more private-sector action in global cyber battles. Here’s the rest of the story.

Trump Greenlights Private Tech Firms To Join The Fight Against Cybercriminals

A new presidential memorandum lets vetted private companies work alongside federal agencies on offensive cyber operations, but industry voices are split on whether it will work in practice. President Trump has signed a national security presidential memorandum allowing federal law enforcement agencies to partner with private technology companies to execute offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal groups and international adversaries. …