You don’t have to join the hack-back program to inherit its risk

The U.S. government's new private offensive cyber program allows vetted companies to conduct covert hacking operations against criminals, but participating companies face substantial legal risks that aren't fully protected by the program. The legal shield rests on an untested interpretation of one law (the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act), leaving companies exposed to civil lawsuits, state laws, foreign laws, and contractual liability even though they're operating under government direction.