Trump signed a memorandum on U.S. cyber operations against foreign criminal groups
Kyiv • UNN
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum expanding federal agencies’ ability to use cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations. The document involves private companies in cyber operations under government oversight.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum that, according to the White House, is intended to expand the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to use cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations operating in other countries and carrying out attacks against Americans. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
Trump signed a presidential national security memorandum directing his administration to "leverage the capabilities and innovations of the private sector to facilitate the conduct of these cyber operations under the direction, control, and authorities of the U.S. government," the White House said.
In a fact sheet on the memorandum, the White House mentioned ransomware attacks, financial fraud, and other crimes committed by criminal organizations based abroad. The memorandum refers to them as "transnational criminal organizations."
The memorandum establishes a mechanism encouraging private companies to enter into agreements with other private entities, as well as federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities, to gather information about threats from transnational criminal organizations and propose cyber operations to counter those threats, the White House added.
The document directs the Department of Homeland Security, through the Homeland Security Task Force's National Coordination Center, to establish a program "to conduct specific cyber operations aimed at disrupting the activities of foreign transnational criminal organizations." The program will be overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
According to the memorandum, under the supervision of the federal government, vetted participating companies will conduct "cyber surveillance operations" and "cyber influence operations" against designated targets.
Cyber influence includes the potential manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation, or destruction of information systems, networks, physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by information systems, or information stored in them
Participating companies will be required to have a surety bond or funds in an escrow account worth at least $1 million, according to the document.
The idea of involving private companies in cyber operations against criminal and other targets is not new and has been controversial in the past because of concerns about escalation, unintended consequences, and coordination problems among government agencies.
The Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for additional details about the program.
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