Private security firms will soon be allowed to hack overseas cybercriminals

Photo: President Donald J. Trump signs the Secure America Act in the Oval Office, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo credit: Official White House photo by Daniel Torok via Flickr. US government work. Article by Dan Goodin. Ars Technica – August 13, 2026. 

The Trump administration is recruiting private security firms to conduct federal government-authorized operations, including cyberattacks, against overseas-based criminal organizations that commit hacks on US persons, organizations, or government entities. In a National Security Presidential Memorandum issued Thursday, US President Donald Trump directed the National Coordination Center (NCC), which operates under the Homeland Security Task Force, to develop a program for conducting specific cyber operations that combat foreign transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). […]

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