US President Donald Trump says he is expanding the fight against cyber crime by enabling private-sector computer security companies to fight back – but experts say the idea is not new.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Trump issued a notice in which he said the US private technology sector was the “most innovative and technologically advanced”, and should not be kept on the sidelines amid a surge in cyber attacks against the country.
“American businesses’ innovative capabilities have historically been under-utilised in efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks operating in cyberspace,” it read.
“By partnering with vetted US companies subject to the direction and oversight of the federal government, we will enhance our ability to counter transnational criminal organisation threats and combat transnational cyber crime, fraud and other predatory schemes against American citizens.”
During the continuing US conflict with Iran, hacking groups linked to Tehran have launched attacks on US computer infrastructure.
But Robert Graham, chief executive of Atlanta-based cyber-security company Errata Security, was unimpressed.
“This has been discussed under the name ‘hack back’ over the last 15 years in the cyber-security community,” he wrote on X.
“The White House just slides this [notice] in without using the controversial names, hoping people wouldn’t recognise it.”
On Mr Graham’s Substack blog, Cybersect, he wrote that Mr Trump’s notice appears to be simply directing law-enforcement agencies to establish a list of things they might allow the private sector to do to quicken response times to any hack.
“The companies don’t get to steal Bitcoin found on hackers’ computers for themselves – as far as I can tell, the memo is silent on seized assets entirely, so presumably anything recovered goes to the government,” he added.
Last year, a bill was introduced in Congress to authorise the President to issue “letters of marque and reprisal” to private companies, giving them more options in fighting cyber crimes directed at US residents.
In a February interview with The National about the proposed legislation, cyber-security software maker Bruce Payne said it was akin to “bug bounty” programmes that make it easier to identify problems with software.
“In effect, the US would get more capability for less,” Mr Payne said.
“The proposed legislation allows the executive branch to issue limited, targeted commissions to disrupt these foreign cyber-criminal enterprises.”
The proposed bill, introduced by Republican Representative David Schweikert, did not make it out of committee level, and there was some concern that if it passed, countries around the world would raise concerns over breach of sovereignty.
Mr Graham said that while parts of Mr Trump’s notice are unclear, he does not think it is turning firms into cyber-security privateers.
“The old privateering let the pirate keep a portion of the booty, sharing it with the government. That doesn’t happen here,” he said.
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