Security News > 2001 > June > Law enforcement officials ask Congress for help in fighting cybercrime

http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/25600p-463255c.html By D. IAN HOPPER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (June 12, 2001 09:55 p.m. EDT) - As they touted recent successes, law enforcement officials asked Congress on Tuesday for more funds and expanded powers in their fight against cybercrime. Michael Chertoff, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, said his staff wants higher penalties for computer criminals. He specifically cited the case of David Smith, who pleaded guilty to writing the 1999 "Melissa" virus. "In that case, even though the defendant caused tens of millions - if not billions - of dollars of damage," Chertoff told the House subcommittee on crime, "the maximum penalty was five years in prison." Chertoff also said police should have broader powers to investigate computer crimes, including an update to the wiretap laws that were written for telephones and have been translated clumsily to the Internet age. New wiretap laws are essential in tracking criminals who use the Internet, Chertoff said. He revealed that investigators traced e-mail messages connected to James Kopp, who was on the run for three years after being indicted for the death of an abortion doctor. Kopp was found and detained in France, where he is awaiting a decision on extradition to the United States. The FBI and Justice Department use a device called DCS1000 - once known as Carnivore - to monitor e-mail messages going to and from a suspect. The device has been under fire from privacy advocates and some legislators. Investigators have used electronic wiretapping to track fugitives, drug dealers, extortionists and computer hackers, as well as suspected foreign intelligence agents. Carnivore critic Alan Davidson of the Washington-based Center for Democracy and Technology told Congress that new laws should come in the form of privacy enhancements, not investigative powers. Davidson said the last "significant update" to privacy rules occurred in 1986, before the World Wide Web was invented. The outdated rules leave "gaps and ambiguities" that can lead to abuse, he said. "Greater clarity and enhanced protection are needed both to promote public confidence in law enforcement," Davidson said, "and to provide deserved guidance about what is and is not acceptable behavior for electronic surveillance and data gathering." Davidson said the best way to promote online security is to encourage the use of strong encryption by regular Internet users. The Justice Department has argued against that and called for the police to be able to decrypt a message with a court order. An official with the Secret Service described several cases it has worked on to illustrate different flavors of computer crimes. As part of the Treasury Department, the Secret Service investigates crimes against financial institutions. Without naming the victims, James A. Savage of the financial crimes division told legislators about a medical diagnostic service provider that suffered a "catastrophic shutdown" of its entire computer network in March. A former employee later admitted guilt. In February, two "major wireless telecommunications service providers" identified two hackers who got free long distance and other services, Savage said. While they only stole service, they had enough access to the network to shut down telephone service over a large area, including emergency 911 systems and government installations. Savage said an unidentified financial institution had its entire banking network shut down just two weeks ago. It could not control its ATMs, banking transactions or other functions. Again, a former employee admitted to disabling the system. Savage told lawmakers that the Secret Service is being swamped with "desperate pleas" from local police departments for training, assistance and equipment "on an alarmingly increasing basis." ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email isn-unsubscribe () SecurityFocus com

News URL

http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/25600p-463255c.html