Cyber Letters of Marque and Reprisal Act

This bill, titled the Cyber Letters of Marque and Reprisal Act, empowers the President to issue cyber letters of marque and reprisal to private persons and entities. These letters authorize recipients to conduct limited cyberspace operations against designated foreign cyberthreats located outside the United States. The primary goals are to deter and disrupt cyberattacks, recover stolen digital assets, and provide compensation to American victims of cyber-enabled crime. The authorized cyber operations are broadly defined, encompassing activities such as intelligence collection, data recovery, information operations, and the seizure of digital assets and cryptocurrency. Recipients are also permitted to disrupt malicious infrastructure and engage in proactive actions to degrade or destroy information systems belonging to cyberthreats. The bill explicitly allows for limited offensive cyber operations , including the use of malware and other offensive tools, to achieve these objectives. To ensure accountability, recipients must post a security bond , which can be forfeited if the terms of the letter are violated. The bill strictly prohibits operations against any United States citizen or entity and requires detailed recordkeeping of all activities. A significant provision establishes a system for recovered assets , allowing up to 15 percent to fund future operations and bounties for letter holders, with remaining funds directed to the Crime Victims Fund. This framework aims to modernize historical privateering tactics to combat contemporary cyber threats.