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| U.S. President Donald Trump posing in the Oval Office with Bill Schuette, the former Michigan Attorney General. |
Trump Authorizes Cyber Operations Against Foreign Criminal Groups
WASHINGTON — August 12, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a national security memorandum allowing federal authorities to use cyber capabilities against transnational criminal organizations operating outside the United States, according to the White House. The measure is intended to help disrupt foreign-based groups accused of targeting Americans through cybercrime and other illegal activities.
The memorandum directs the U.S. government to work with vetted private-sector companies to support cyber operations against specified criminal organizations. The White House said the initiative is designed to address threats including ransomware attacks, financial fraud and other crimes carried out by groups operating across national borders.
Under the new framework, private companies could work with federal, state, local, tribal and territorial authorities to collect information about criminal organizations and develop proposals for cyber operations against them. The companies would operate under the direction and authority of the U.S. government.
The Department of Homeland Security has been instructed to establish a programme through the National Coordination Center of its Homeland Security Task Force. The programme will focus on specific cyber operations intended to disrupt foreign transnational criminal organizations and will be overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
Participating companies would need to pass government vetting before taking part. The memorandum allows them to conduct what it calls cyber surveillance operations and cyber effects operations against approved targets.
Cyber effects operations could involve changing, disrupting, blocking or damaging computer systems, networks, digital infrastructure or information held within those systems. The broad powers mean the programme could go beyond simply monitoring criminal activity and include active attempts to interfere with targeted networks.
Companies participating in the programme would also be required to maintain a bond or escrow account of at least $1 million under the terms of the memorandum. The requirement is intended to provide a financial safeguard for the companies involved.
The use of private companies in government-directed cyber operations is not entirely new. Similar efforts have generated controversy because of concerns about escalation, unintended consequences and the difficulty of coordinating operations between private companies and government agencies.
The White House did not immediately provide additional details about how the programme would operate, while the Department of Homeland Security also did not immediately respond to requests for further information.
The memorandum comes as U.S. authorities face growing threats from criminal groups operating across borders and using digital systems to conduct ransomware attacks, financial fraud and other crimes. The new framework seeks to combine government authority with private-sector cyber expertise, but its implementation and the limits placed on participating companies remain important questions.
