White House Creates Program for Government-Approved Private-Sector Cyber Operations
Summary
A White House memorandum directs the National Coordination Center to establish a program for vetted security firms to propose limited cyber operations against foreign criminal groups under U.S. government authority, with legal and financial safeguards.
Key points
- The memorandum directs the National Coordination Center to establish a program for private firms to propose cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations.
- Participating firms must be vetted and work through agreements overseen by the Justice and Homeland Security departments.
- Operations require government approval and must comply with U.S. law and applicable international agreements.
- Firms must maintain at least $1 million in bond or escrow and stop operations that exceed approved limits, including unintended targeting of U.S. citizens or systems.
- The program targets groups involved in ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, sextortion, and impersonation scams.
- Two security industry figures described the policy as a significant expansion of private-sector involvement in offensive cyber operations, with one raising concerns about its incentives.
Article Details
- Event Type
- U.S. policy initiative establishing a framework for vetted private security firms to seek government approval for limited cyber operations against foreign cybercrime organizations.
- Impact
- The memorandum directs the National Coordination Center to oversee the program with the Justice and Homeland Security departments. Participating firms must be vetted, follow legal and contractual limits, maintain at least $1 million in bond or escrow, and stop and report operations that exceed approved limits. The White House says the initiative is intended to disrupt foreign groups involved in ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, sextortion, and impersonation scams; the article does not report that operations have begun.
People
Chris WysopalVeracode co-founder who commented that the memorandum represents a major shift in U.S. cyber policy and expands the private sector's role in offensive cyber operations.Donald TrumpU.S. President who signed the memorandum directing the National Coordination Center to establish the program.Jason KiktaFormer Cyber National Mission Force leader and Automox CTO who criticized the initiative as a “perpetual motion machine for billable threats.”