Someone, I think Bill, talked about the FBI's usual n-horsemen of the
infocalypse. Here's an excerpt from the hearing transcript (why weren't
drug smugglers mentioned? someone's slipping).
Interestingly enough, except for a passing reference by one witness ("I
support encryption"), that was the only time crypto came up. Odd, that.
-Declan
DONALD M. KERR, DIRECTOR, FBI LABS
MR. KERR: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. (Inaudible)
-- grateful for the opportunity to discuss with you our program for
interception, lawful interception of information on the Internet and data
networks.
As you know, the use of computers and the Internet has grown rapidly
and has
been paralleled by the exploitation of computers, networks and databases to
commit crimes and to harm the safety, security and privacy of others. Criminals
use computers to send child pornography to each other using anonymous encrypted
communications. Hackers break into financial service company systems and steal
customers' home addresses and credit card numbers. Criminals use the Internet's
inexpensive and easy communications to commit large-scale fraud on victims all
over the world. And terrorist bombers plan their strikes using the Internet.
Investigating and deterring such wrongdoing requires tools and techniques
designed to work with new and evolving computer and network technologies.
The systems employed must strike a reasonable balance between competing
interests: the privacy interests of telecommunications users, the business
interests of service providers, and the duty of government investigators to
protect public safety. I would like to discuss how the FBI is meeting this
challenge in the area of electronic mail interception.
