The Presidential Memorandum on “Expanding Capabilities To Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime,” issued on August 12, addresses how the government intends to increase private sector engagement in U.S. cyber defense. Clarity on the administration’s approach has been much anticipated since the early days of the second Trump Administration, when the government started hinting at a desire to see the private sector play a larger role. They confirmed this intent in President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America, published in March 2026. This Memorandum is a continuation of that journey.
Join our cybersecurity and legal experts as they discuss the implications of the Memorandum, debate what may be covered under “cyber-enabled crime”, and speculate wildly on how the program will be administered in practice. We will discuss the ethical, strategic, and legal implications of deputizing private companies to carry out these operations.
