The White House said Thursday it had rescinded a classified Obama-era memorandum dictating when the U.S. government can deploy cyber weaponry against its adversaries, acknowledging the move for the first time.
John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, confirmed during a press briefing that the old rules had been replaced by new classified guidance intended to empower the Defense Department with more flexibility to launch offensive cyber strikes without first needing to vet those decisions through an elaborate interagency process.
“Our presidential directive effectively reversed those restraints, effectively enabling offensive cyber operations through the relevant departments,” Bolton said.
The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous officials, first reported last month that Trump had scrapped and replaced Obama’s directive.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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