U.S. must leverage private sector for offensive cyber operations, says new report
A Dartmouth research institute urged Washington to authorize private companies for limited cyberattacks against cryptocurrency scammers and ransomware networks. The report argued that American intelligence agencies focus on targeted operations while Chinese counterparts conduct widespread opportunistic hacking across global systems. Experts recommended pilot programs allowing vetted private operators to seize stolen funds and disrupt criminal infrastructure.
Security researcher Jon DiMaggio documented how a ransomware affiliate launched an independent extortion platform within six months by modifying leaked code. The operator named Devman permitted attacks on hospitals and critical infrastructure while forbidding strikes on former Soviet states and minors. Government disruptions of major ransomware groups like LockBit reduced threats but left smaller operations active across the fragmented criminal ecosystem.
SpaceX disabled 2,500 Starlink terminals near suspected fraud compounds after congressional investigators announced probes into Myanmar operations. European authorities dismantled a Latvian network that provided telephone numbers from over 80 countries using 40,000 active SIM cards. Regulators fined companies in New York, Britain, and Australia for inadequate data protection practices that enabled breaches.
