Trump just signed a memo authorizing private U.S. companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations, under federal oversight. Cyber Letters of Marque, essentially. The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) has always allowed Congress to issue letters of marque and reprisal, commissioning private actors to fight enemies on behalf of the state. That 18th century naval warfare concept just got a 21st century upgrade. Vetted companies can now conduct "Cyber Surveillance Operations" and "Cyber Effects Operations" (disruption, degradation, destruction of criminal infrastructure) against transnational criminal orgs. The era of purely defensive cybersecurity is over.