US Government Authorizes Private Firms to Conduct Offensive Cyberattacks

The Trump administration has signed a national security presidential memorandum that, for the first time, authorizes private sector companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal entities. The memorandum directs the government to leverage private sector capabilities for cyber operations "under the direction, control and authority of the US government," according to the White House. This move, reported by multiple outlets, allows private firms to surveil and disrupt criminal networks under federal oversight, echoing a Revolutionary War-era strategy of employing civilians to battle adversaries.