National cyber director defends private-sector hacking program, urges focus on security basics
National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross has defended a new U.S. government program that allows private companies to assist in disrupting foreign cybercrime operations. The initiative aims to scale deterrence efforts against malicious actors while maintaining government oversight.
Why it matters
The program represents a shift in how the U.S. handles cyber warfare and private-sector involvement in national security operations.
Letting businesses help the government deter cybercrime will benefit all Americans, Sean Cairncross said.
The U.S. government’s top cybersecurity official on Tuesday defended the Trump administration’s plan to let private companies hack foreign cybercrime gangs, saying the new program would help the U.S. prevent cybercrime schemes that defraud Americans.
“We're not talking about letters of marque. We're not talking about the Wild West,” National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said at a USTelecom event in Washington. “This is a very specific program, overseen by the government, to engage industry and allow us to scale our efforts to take some of these actors on.”
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