cyber privateering definition

Definition of cyber privateering : noun

1. The practice of a government's hiring of a contractor, often but not always a criminal group, to conduct cyberespionage on its behalf. The cyber privateer receives a list of intelligence requirements, collects relevant material, and turns it over to the sponsoring government. The privateer also gets to keep whatever else it's been able to pick up in the process, provided it doesn't collect against the sponsoring government or other prohibited targets. Compare APT side hustle.
   "The intelligence service used cyber privateering to help them maintain plausible deniability."