Washington, Aug. 13 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump signed a national security presidential memorandum on Wednesday aimed at empowering federal law enforcement to use cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations operating in foreign jurisdictions to attack Americans, the White House said.
The memorandum directs the administration to leverage the capabilities and innovation of the private sector to help conduct cyber operations under the direction, control and authority of the U.S. government, according to the White House.
The White House said the memorandum addresses ransomware attacks, financial fraud and other crimes carried out by foreign-based transnational criminal organizations. It establishes a framework for private-sector companies to enter into agreements with other private entities, as well as federal, state, local, tribal and territorial agencies, to gather information on threats posed by such organizations and propose cyber operations to address those threats.
The memorandum directs the Department of Homeland Security, through the Homeland Security Task Force’s National Coordination Center, to establish a program to conduct specific cyber operations aimed at disrupting foreign transnational criminal organizations. The program will be jointly overseen by the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice.
Under federal government supervision, vetted participating companies will conduct cyber-surveillance and cyber-effects operations against specified targets, according to the memorandum.
The memorandum defines cyber-effects operations as potentially involving the manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation or destruction of information systems, networks, and physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by information systems, as well as information stored on such systems.
Participating companies will also be required to maintain a bond or escrow of at least $1 million, according to the memorandum.
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