US moves to staff leaders for industry-partnered offensive cyber program

The Trump administration has begun selecting managers to oversee a program that enlists vetted US companies to gather intelligence on and disrupt foreign criminal hacker groups under Justice Department or DHS contracts. How firms would be paid and who bears liability for unintended harm remain unresolved.

• Firms would operate under Justice Department or DHS contracts with written approval for each mission
• Payment model unresolved; success-based compensation is under consideration
• Liability for wrong targets or mission overreach is still undefined
• Program excludes groups directly tied to foreign governments