Cyberattacks are now part of US counterterrorism strategy

Offensive cyber operations may be used against groups deemed threats to U.S. interests, the Trump administration says in its new counterterrorism strategy.

Counter-terror activities against state actors “include offensive cyber operations against those planning to kill Americans or who support those plotting to do so,” says the strategy, which was released on Wednesday.

Groups who present threats include narcoterrorists and transnational gangs, Islamic terrorist groups, and “violent left-wing extremists, including anarchists and anti-fascists,” the document says.

Diplomatic, financial, cyber, and covert actions may be used to deter or otherwise hinder state actors from helping foreign terrorist organizations, the strategy says. Cyber operations would continue against Iran-backed proxy groups, it adds.

The overt mention of offensive cyberattacks underscores the White House’s broader push to shape foreign hackers’ behavior and follows several public acknowledgments of U.S. cyber warriors’ involvement in the administration’s military activities. 

The document does not detail the nature of these offensive cyber operations.

The White House has helped shape a budding market for offensive cyber tools and capabilities, but executives and officials are grappling with legal questions over definitions of cyber offense and defense, as well as who would bear responsibility when private firms are involved in digital operations.