Security News > 2023 > July > FBI boss: Congress must renew Section 702 spy powers – that's how we get nearly all our cyber intel

Nearly all of the FBI's technical intelligence on malicious "Cyber actors" in the first half of this year was obtained via Section 702 searches, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

With the controversial FISA amendment set to expire at the end of the year, unless Congress reauthorizes the snooping clause, Wray has been making the rounds and delivering the same message: the FBI "Cannot afford to lose" Section 702.

The spying powers granted by Section 702 are "Absolutely vital" role in preventing cyberattacks targeting US organizations and individuals, according to Wray, and allowed the FBI to confirm who was behind that Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.

Section 702 also identified an attempt by Chinese spies to compromised an unnamed US transportation hub, and "Saved a US nonprofit from an Iranian ransomware attack last year and recovered their stolen information so they didn't have to pay a ransom at all," Wray said during his July 26 keynote at the FBI Atlanta Cyber Threat Summit.

"You might be surprised to hear that malicious cyber actors have accounted for over half of our Section 702 reporting," Wray added on Wednesday.

Despite a full-court PR campaign from law enforcement, lawmakers have indicated that they are unlikely to reauthorize Section 702 without adding some safeguards to protect people's privacy.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/07/28/fbi_section_702/