# U.S. Joins Cyber Tools Guidelines

The United States has joined voluntary international guidelines developed through the U.K.- and France-led Pall Mall Process for commercial cyber intrusion capabilities, including spyware. The guidelines call for regulatory compliance, due diligence, risk management, and monitoring, but do not create binding procurement requirements. Implementation and reporting mechanisms remain unresolved, and the announcement identifies no solicitation, contract, or funding opportunity. Agencies and contractors handling these tools should anticipate greater scrutiny of export controls, access safeguards, and supply chains.

- Organizations involved in commercial cyber intrusion capabilities can assess their due-diligence, risk-management, monitoring, access-control, and supply-chain practices against the voluntary guidelines; the signal does not establish a mandatory compliance deadline.
- Procurement teams should distinguish the guidelines from binding solicitation terms or regulations, while accounting for the potential for increased scrutiny of suppliers and tool access.
- No specific acquisition or funding action is identified, so this development informs market and risk planning rather than presenting an immediate bid opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of State (State Department)
- United Kingdom Foreign Ministry
- French Foreign Ministry

### Key Quotes
> While civil society has advocated for more robust standards and measures, including mandatory technical kill switches, more transparency and stronger due diligence requirements, we will continue working with the Pall Mall Process to ensure that these guidelines help limit the uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of cyber intrusion tools, including spyware.
> — Natalia Krapiva, Senior tech-legal counsel at Access Now

### Sources
- [Industry guidelines for offensive cyber tools unveiled through international Pall Mall Process | CyberScoop](https://cyberscoop.com/pall-mall-process-commercial-spyware-guidelines) - CyberScoop