U.S. weighs expanding private companies’ role in cyber warfare

The Trump administration is weighing a substantial shift in its cyber strategy, including by enlisting private companies to assist with offensive cyberattacks, according to four former senior U.S. officials familiar with the administration’s thinking.

The proposals have been included in drafts of the administration’s coming National Cybersecurity Strategy, which will set out general priorities and be accompanied by a plan to carry out the policies, said the former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a document that was not yet public.

The government can currently contract private companies to develop elements of its cyber operations. But the initiative would drastically expand the role of private companies in cyber warfare, raising a host of questions about the legality and practicality of their involvement. It would be a more aggressive approach that is likely to be the subject of today’s confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee to lead United States Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd.

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