alt Hacker NewsAmerica tells private firms to "hack back"
Comments
If a company's already been hacked, what makes them think they have the knowledge/expertise to fight back?
hack back assumes you know who hit you. attribution in cyber is hard enough for the NSA
The referenced policy says "We will unleash the private sector by creating incentives to identify and disrupt adversary networks and scale our national capabilities."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Presid...
I don't see where the policy instructs the private sector to "hack back", a quoted term in the article.
That's what we want, corporations waging "cyber-war" in the name of national security. Brilliant...
I have this huge looming sensation private credit will trigger a mini 2008, but instead of investors sucking up the losses, as they should, american taxpayers will be left with the bill.
State sponsored cyberattacks by China should be considered an act of war by the US government. Telling private firms to hack back isn’t a solution. Unfortunately Trump has been spineless and weak on China, as we have seen in the tariff debacle and in the TikTok ban debacle.
Relying on good will and people doing the right thing is clearly bullshit - any system which is insecure should be a legitimate target, and the onus needs to be on those who own the systems to secure them, and be unable to disclaim liability if they do not.
However, the law needs to reflect that if people are to actually take the suggestions seriously.
I agree with the characterisation of this activity as 'cyber-warfare', but that has the consequence that telling businesses to 'hack back' is inviting them to raise private armies, with which I strenuously disagree. That sort of thing does, however, to fit with the present administration's ideology.