▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁$ 8 1 m ▁from ▁the ▁central ▁bank ▁of ▁Bang l adesh ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁and ▁W anna C ry ▁ 2 . 0 ▁r ans om ware ▁attack ▁against ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁computers . ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁The ▁White ▁House ▁has ▁" author ized ▁off ensive ▁cy ber ▁operations " ▁against ▁foreign ▁thre ats ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁lo os ened ▁restrictions ▁on ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁digital ▁weapons ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁the ▁president ' s ▁directive ; ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁President ial ▁Mem or and um ▁ 1 3 ▁( NS PM ▁ 1 3 ). ▁This ▁allows ▁the ▁military ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁such ▁attacks ▁with ▁a ▁short ened ▁appro val ▁process . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Cy ber ▁Command ▁launched ▁the ▁still - class ified ▁Operation ▁Syn th etic ▁The ology . ▁A ▁team ▁of ▁exper ts ▁were ▁deployed ▁to ▁Mac ed onia , ▁Ukraine , ▁and ▁Mont en eg ro ▁to ▁identify ▁Russian ▁agents ▁inter fer ing ▁in ▁the ▁election . ▁The ▁team ▁was ▁also ▁gather ing ▁intelligence ▁on ▁Russia ' s ▁cy ber ▁capabilities ▁and ▁attack ing ▁the ▁Internet ▁Research ▁Agency , ▁a ▁" K re min - back ed ▁t roll ▁farm ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg ". ▁Begin ning ▁at ▁least ▁by ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁persistent ▁cy ber ▁operations ▁were ▁applied ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁against ▁Russia