FBI steps up efforts to fight crimes related to computers

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http://web.lexis-nexis.com/more/cahners-chicago/11407/6592826/1

Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 26, 2000

The FBI has opened its first multiagency, multijurisdictional office
aimed at combating the escalation of computer-related crimes and has
assigned it the task of acquiring, archiving and analyzing digital
evidence in support of criminal investigations.

The new facility, located in San Diego, is designed as a prototype for
new regional laboratories being established across the country.

"The role of the computer forensics examiner will become increasingly
more important as criminals continue to exploit emerging computer
technology," says FBI Director Louis J. Freeh.

"As we have found on the national level, joining forces with other
federal, state and local agencies produces higher levels of service in
the full range of cases where computers are either used to facilitate
crime or the computer itself is the target of a criminal act," he
says.

Attorney General Janet Reno has called for an aggressive effort to
combat computer crimes, saying government and industry need to work
together to determine what should be done both to increase security
and to catch criminals.

Mr. Freeh has urged Congress to consider expanding the use of the
federal racketeering law, known as RICO - traditionally used against
organized-crime figures and drug cartels - to apply against computer
criminals. He also has urged members of Congress to lower the $5,000
minimum in damages that victim companies must suffer before attackers
can be prosecuted under federal computer crime laws.

The new San Diego office, known as the Regional Computer Forensics
Laboratory, consists of computer forensic examiners from the FBI, Drug
Enforcement Administration, Defense Criminal Investigative Service,
Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Customs Service, San Diego
County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office, California
Highway Patrol and police departments in Chula Vista, El Cajon,
Escondido, La Mesa and San Diego.

FBI officials say it is organized into three main functions: imaging,
analysis, and research and development. The officials say examiners
will rotate among those assignments, allowing each to develop a
variety of skills.

Each of the examiners, the FBI says, will be given responsibility for
quality control and training. The bureau says as the volume and
complexity of computer evidence submissions grow, the laboratory's
flexible structure will allow it to adapt and seek whatever additional
training, equipment or other resources are needed to complete the job.

"Computer crimes have become the crimes of this century," says San
Diego Sheriff Bill Kolender. "We are experiencing a large increase in
the number of people who are victims of fraud, identity theft and
other offenses. We in the sheriff's department are very pleased to be
a part of this task force."

San Diego Police Chief David Bejarano says that because of the
"explosion of high-technology and associated crimes," the new facility
is a welcome addition to his department's effort to control computer
crime.

"This ensures that we will have highly trained examiners - using
state-of-the-art technology and investigative techniques - to support
federal, state and local investigations and prosecutions," Mr.
Bejarano says.

Mr. Freeh says that with the creation of the San Diego office, law
enforcement authorities will have the "best-trained computer forensics
examiners, functioning as one team," that will be able to "utilize
state-of-the-art facilities to perform complex examinations."

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