White House Memo Authorizes Contractors Against Cartels and Ransomware Gangs, Excludes Lazarus Group

A White House memo authorizes vetted US contractors to conduct offensive cyber operations targeting cartels, ransomware gangs, and scam networks — but notably excludes North Korea's Lazarus Group from the approved target list. The directive establishes strict guardrails for contractor engagement, requiring DOJ and Treasury sign-off before any operation proceeds. A key restriction bans contractors from targeting state actors, which explains the exclusion of Lazarus Group despite its extensive history of cryptocurrency theft and exchange hacks attributed to North Korean intelligence services.