President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on August 12, 2026, creating a formal program through which vetted private U.S. cybersecurity companies can conduct government-supervised offensive cyber operations—both surveillance and disruptive effects operations—against foreign criminal organizations that target Americans online. The National Coordination Center, overseen jointly by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, will authorize and control every operation; companies must receive written approval before acting and face financial bonds of at least $1 million as a compliance guarantee. The memorandum builds on Executive Order 14390 (March 2026), which directed federal agencies to develop a government-wide strategy against cyber-enabled fraud. That context matters: the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report recorded $20.9 billion in U.S. cybercrime losses—a 26 percent jump from the prior year, with complaint volume topping one million for the first time. Critics, including a former Cyber Command official and academic cyber-conflict experts, have raised concerns about civil-liberties oversight, gaps in civil liability protection for participating firms, and whether the framework could be a slippery slope toward private operations against nation-state actors. Key implementation details remain classified or pending, with operating procedures due within 60 days.