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Trump Orders DOJ, DHS to Approve $1M-Bond Hacking Firms

8/16/2026

Summary

Trump authorizes hacking

President Donald Trump on Aug. 12, 2026 ordered Justice Department (DOJ) and Homeland Security Department (DHS) to let firms hack groups with a $1 million bond.
Firms must contract with DOJ or DHS, undergo vetting, and receive approval from DOJ and DHS directors banning armed attacks.
Assistant Secretary Joseph Alm says it aims to terrify those targeting Americans, but experts like Paul Rosenzweig warn it could raise risks and breach rules.

Summary

US authorizes cyber

The new federal memorandum creates a coordination center that authorizes participating companies to conduct cyber-surveillance and cyber-effects operations.
It expands a March fraud-focused executive order to include offensive cyber operations and follows Iran-linked cyberattacks on water facilities in Minnesota and Michigan and a 2022 DOJ decision to stop prosecuting white-hat hackers for security research.
Former Cyber Command official Jason Kitka called the memorandum “a perpetual motion machine for billable threats.”

History

Historical Context

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, signed by President George W. Bush, granting the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security broader surveillance powers and authorizing $50 million for computer-forensic labs. Reauthorizations in 2005 and 2011 extended key provisions, prompting ongoing debates about expanding private-sector cyber operations and their impact on civil liberties.

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Trump authorizes hacking

President Donald Trump on Aug. 12, 2026 ordered Justice Department (DOJ) and Homeland Security Department (DHS) to let firms hack groups with a $1 million bond.
Firms must contract with DOJ or DHS, undergo vetting, and receive approval from DOJ and DHS directors banning armed attacks.
Assistant Secretary Joseph Alm says it aims to terrify those targeting Americans, but experts like Paul Rosenzweig warn it could raise risks and breach rules.

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