[5764] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
new DoD high-tech crime-fighting center opens
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven M. Bellovin)
Sat Sep 25 18:42:35 1999
From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb@research.att.com>
To: cryptography@c2.net
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Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 23:25:46 -0400
Message-Id: <19990925032551.D25C341F16@SIGABA.research.att.com>
According to the AP, the Defense Department has opened a new center to help
deal with electronic evidence in case of serious crimes involving the military
(http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Defense-Computer-Crime.html). Among
their purported capabilities are being able to track hackers across the
Internet, undelete files, even reassemble shredded floppies. The FBI has its
own minilab in the building; the center expects to share equipment and
techniques with law enforcement agencies.
What makes this article especially interesting to this group is the deliberate
proximity of the new lab to NSA. They will indeed attempt to deal with
encrypted messages, though the director stated that such cases were rare. He
also said that he was "confident" that their techniques would be adequate to
deal with messages encrypted under the new export regimes after Congress gives
the FBI $80 million more over four years.
--Steve Bellovin
