President Trump directed federal law enforcement agencies to expand their use of cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations that operate outside the U.S. and target Americans.
In a memorandum signed late Wednesday, Mr. Trump ordered the Homeland Security Task Force’s National Coordination Center to establish a program to use cyber tools to disrupt the transnational criminals.
The program will focus on developing cyber operations to disrupt transnational criminal organizations, partnering with private companies to leverage the latest tech innovations, and gathering TCO threat data and creating cyber operations to thwart attacks.
The program will be led by two executive directors from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
Ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, financial frauds, sextortion schemes and impersonation scams run by TCOs based outside the U.S. will be the initiative’s targets.
“President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-based organized criminal organizations that exploit Americans in cyberspace,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
Participating private companies may enter into agreements with other private entities and federal, state, local, tribal and territorial agencies to share threat information or propose cyber operations to stop identified threats. Yet the program will operate under the direction of the U.S. government, according to the fact sheet.
Specifically, the companies will conduct “cyber surveillance operations” and “cyber effects operations” against targets while under the supervision of the federal government. Participating companies will have to maintain a bond or escrow of at least $1 million, according to the memo.
“Cyber effects include the potential manipulation, disruption, denial, degradation or destruction of information systems, networks, physical or virtual infrastructure controlled by information systems or information resident thereon,” the memo states.
Some security analysts questioned the wisdom of the government relying on private companies to carry out some cybersecurity operations.
Jason Kitka, a former U.S. Cyber Command official, warned companies could take advantage of the program, writing on Bluesky that it would create “a perpetual motion machine for billable threats.”
In 2025, American consumers lost more than $20.8 billion to cybercrime and 74% of adults were victims of some kind of online scam or attack, according to data from the White House. Online cons and attacks disproportionately affect seniors, children and low-income families.
The White House said these crimes have exploded in recent years because of “outdated frameworks, gaps in coordination and the absence of meaningful consequences.”
Mr. Trump’s memorandum builds on several recent actions he’s taken to boost cybersecurity and online safety. In June, he signed an executive order strengthening cybersecurity protection against foreign cyber threats, and last year he issued a notice asking financial institutions to help identify and disrupt extortion schemes.
Last year, Mr. Trump signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a bipartisan law aimed at protecting children and families from online extortion and exploitation through nonconsensual distribution of sexual images and deepfake abuse.
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