--- title: Private US companies can now run cyber operations... description: A White House memorandum signed by Donald Trump on 12 August authorizes vetted private US companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/private-us-companies-can-now-run-cyber-operations-abroad-state-backed-hackers-are-excluded-nl9oj0yvl twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Private US companies can now run cyber operations abroad. State-backed hackers are excluded | daily.dev og:description: A White House memorandum signed by Donald Trump on 12 August authorizes vetted private US companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/private-us-companies-can-now-run-cyber-operations-abroad-state-backed-hackers-are-excluded-nl9oj0yvl og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/Nl9oJ0YvL.png og:image:alt: Private US companies can now run cyber operations abroad. State-backed hackers are excluded og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Private US companies can now run cyber operations abroad. State-backed hackers are excluded **[The Next Web](https://daily.dev/sources/tnw)** · 7 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A White House memorandum signed by Donald Trump on 12 August authorizes vetted private US companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign transnational criminal groups, including surveillance and disruptive 'cyber effects' operations. State-directed hackers such as North Korean groups are explicitly excluded from being targets, though grey areas exist around Russian, Chinese and Iranian state-linked criminal actors. Companies must meet vetting standards, maintain a $1 million bond, disclose contracts, and get case-by-case government approval; operations cannot cause loss of life or rise to an armed attack. Critics warn of legal exposure for participants abroad, likely legal challenges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and a classified addendum whose contents remain undisclosed. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Can private US companies now legally hack foreign cybercriminals under the new White House memo? Yes, under a memorandum signed by Donald Trump on 12 August, vetted US companies can conduct Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against foreign transnational criminal organizations, but only under government contract and case-by-case approval, not as unilateral hack-back. State-directed hackers, like those working for foreign governments, are excluded as targets. Operating procedures are due within 60 days, so no operation can be approved before then. _Security teams tracking how offensive cyber authority is evolving can follow developments like this on daily.dev._ ### What financial and vetting requirements must companies meet to participate in the US offensive cyber operations program? Companies must disclose all contractual relationships to a National Coordination Center and maintain a bond or escrow of at least $1 million against non-compliance. Minimum standards cover technical proficiency, experience with cyber operations, facility security, personnel vetting and reliability. Every operation package requires written approval from Program Executive Directors, and each company's participation is reviewed at least annually. _Professionals evaluating regulatory compliance burdens in cybersecurity can keep up with policy shifts like this on daily.dev._ ### Are North Korean state-sponsored hackers a legal target under the new US offensive cyber operations memo? No, the memorandum excludes groups that are an institutional part of a foreign government or wholly operated under a foreign government's direction, which covers North Korean hackers who work at state direction. Grey areas remain, since many Eastern European gangs are believed to operate with tacit Russian government consent, and Chinese and Iranian state hackers sometimes moonlight as criminals. _Anyone mapping which threat actors fall inside or outside new cyber policy rules can track it on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [In a first, US will allow some private firms to carry out cyberattacks](https://daily.dev/posts/in-a-first-us-will-allow-some-private-firms-to-carry-out-cyberattacks-amiaryn9n) · TechCrunch · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [You don’t have to join the hack-back program to inherit its risk](https://daily.dev/posts/you-don-t-have-to-join-the-hack-back-program-to-inherit-its-risk-ebfnt2nye) · CSO Online · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [The Line Between Defense and Offense Just Moved. Here’s What Comes Next.](https://daily.dev/posts/the-line-between-defense-and-offense-just-moved-here-s-what-comes-next--qlgswupzt) · Arctic Wolf · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Schneier on Security](https://daily.dev/posts/schneier-on-security-3kqbf95kf) · Schneier on Security · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Why hostile state cyber activity is now a day-to-day business risk](https://daily.dev/posts/why-hostile-state-cyber-activity-is-now-a-day-to-day-business-risk-cgvkolghp) · IT Security Guru · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#security](https://daily.dev/tags/security), [#offensive-security](https://daily.dev/tags/offensive-security) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/private-us-companies-can-now-run-cyber-operations-abroad-state-backed-hackers-are-excluded-nl9oj0yvl) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Private US companies can now run cyber operations abroad. 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