President Donald Trump Signs Memo Authorizing US Agencies to Hack Transnational Crime Groups Abroad
The White House announced that President Donald Trump has signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum empowering U.S. federal law enforcement to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations operating globally.
A Game-Changer in Cybercrime Combat
This move is a significant step as it aims to combat increasing cyber threats from abroad, including ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, and AI-assisted impersonation scams, which have plagued Americans.
The Numbers Behind the Order
The memorandum cites concerning statistics: $20.8 billion in reported global cybercrime losses in 2025 and a staggering 73% of U.S. adults experiencing online scams. Furthermore, it highlights the distressing fact that one in seven young victims of sextortion reported self-harm.
Program Structure and Guidelines
The program is structured with a National Coordination Center under a Homeland Security Task Force, co-directed by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Council will establish procedures, ensuring "rigorous" reviews and adherence to constitutional, legal, and international norms.
Leveraging Private Sector Expertise
A controversial aspect is the involvement of the private sector. The coordination center is instructed to "leverage the capability and innovation of the private sector" to execute operations under government supervision. This directive raises concerns among European readers regarding potential escalation, attribution challenges, and collateral damage.
Concerns and Implications
- Escalation: Criminal networks often share infrastructure with legitimate services, making targeted operations risky.
- Attribution: Cyber operations are challenging to trace, posing problems for accountability.
- Collateral Damage: Expert criminals hide among regular users, increasing the risk of affecting innocent bystanders or allied infrastructure during operations.
- Private Contractors: Handing offensive tools to commercial firms raises questions about public oversight and private incentives.
Europe has been working diligently to regulate commercial spyware in recent years, a topic that takes on new relevance with this memo.