FBI Releases First Public Cybersecurity Strategy to Combat Cybercrime and Nation-State Hacking

First Public Cybersecurity Strategy Unveiled

The FBI released its first public cybersecurity strategy on Wednesday, detailing the agency's approach to combating malicious hackers and digital criminal gangs. This 17-page document outlines how the FBI will align its efforts across teams, field offices, and global presence to counter cyber threats.

Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, stated that the strategy addresses the increasing complexity, sophistication, and tempo of cybercrime and nation-state hacking. The document prioritizes the FBI's response given the volume of incidents.

Building on Previous Efforts and Operations

While the FBI has had similar strategies previously, they were either classified or managed by specific threat units. This new public document follows 50 "sequenced operations" conducted since early 2025, including actions against Russian military intelligence services and a joint effort with Microsoft to dismantle the Lumma malware infrastructure.

Leatherman noted that the strategy incorporates elements from the Trump administration’s cybersecurity strategy, a recent executive order on countering digital criminals, and a memorandum allowing private industry participation in disruptive online operations.

Four Pillars of Operation

The inaugural document establishes four "pillars" for the bureau's operations under its criminal and national security cyber authorities. These pillars include imposing costs on adversaries, providing victim support, collaborating with industry, and enhancing the FBI’s own digital capabilities.

The overarching plan will guide the Cyber Division’s threat teams, which focus on countering specific adversaries like China, Russia, and criminal gangs, in developing their own classified strategies. An implementation plan is currently under development.