U.S. Government Authorizes Private Security Firms to Target Overseas Cybercriminals

The U.S. government is engaging private security firms to conduct authorized operations against overseas criminal organizations that target U.S. individuals, organizations, or government entities. A National Security Presidential Memorandum issued by President Donald Trump on August 13, 2026, directs the National Coordination Center (NCC) to develop a program for cyber operations aimed at foreign transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), with oversight from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. The memorandum identifies specific activities such as ransomware, sextortion schemes, phishing campaigns, financial fraud, and impersonation scams as targets for these operations. The private firms will be permitted to conduct Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against these groups, which are defined as foreign entities conducting cyber-enabled crime against U.S. interests without direct government affiliation.