August 28, 2026 · Information Integrity, Press & Democratic Norms

Confirmed

Justice Department Rewrites Its China Hacking Announcement to Say the Senate, NASA and the Fed Were Targets, Not Victims

The Justice Department on Aug. 28, 2026 edited a press release it had issued two days earlier about a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group it calls QTFY. The original Aug. 26 release described the Senate, the Federal...

August 12, 2026 · Executive Power & Institutional Control

Confirmed

Trump Signs a Memo Letting Vetted Private Companies Hack Foreign Criminal Networks

President Trump signed a national security memorandum on Aug. 12 directing the creation of a federal program that will authorize vetted private companies to carry out offensive hacking against foreign cyber-enabled...

July 31, 2026 · Information Integrity, Press & Democratic Norms

Confirmed

Trump Blames Minnesota, Not Iran, for the Cyberattack That Hit More Than 30 of Its Water Systems

At a Cabinet meeting held at Camp David on July 31, President Trump rejected reports that Iran-linked hackers were behind cyber activity that affected control technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems...

December 15, 2025 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security

Well supported

Administration Moves to Enlist Private Firms in Offensive Cyber Operations

Reporting from Bloomberg in December 2025 revealed the Trump administration is preparing to involve private companies in offensive cyberattacks against foreign hackers and state-sponsored adversaries, an area...