President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum authorising vetted private American companies to carry out offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal networks for the first time in US history. The move marks a significant shift in Washington’s approach to tackling cybercrime, positioning private firms as active participants rather than bystanders.
The memorandum, signed on 12 August and titled ‘Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime’, comes after the White House said American consumers reported losing more than $20.8 billion (£16.3bn) to cyber-enabled crime in 2025.
Under the new framework, the Homeland Security Task Force’s National Coordination Center (NCC) will run a programme allowing ‘Participating Companies’ to conduct what the memorandum calls Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations. Cyber Effects Operations — meaning active hacking, disruption, or damage to foreign networks — are a significant departure from the private sector’s traditional defensive role.
These operations are directed at foreign Cyber-Enabled Transnational Criminal Organisations, or CE-TCOs. The memorandum states any resulting operational action will be ‘exclusively conducted on behalf of and under the supervision of the Federal Government’.