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Judge Upholds FBI Keyboard Sniffing

Posted by michael on from the black-bag-job dept.

mshiltonj writes: "Wired is reporting that keyboard sniffing can be used to catch "mobsters." I feel safer already. You can read the ruling. Here's a snippet: "This case presents an interesting issue of first impression dealing with the ever-present tension between individual privacy and liberty rights and law enforcement's use of new and advanced technology to vigorously investigate criminal activity. It appears that no district court in the country has addressed a similar issue. Of course, the matter takes on added importance in light of recent events and potential national security implications." Translation: Don't deny us this tool or you'll be blamed for us not catching terrorists." See also an Infoworld article. We have several previous stories on the Scarfo case.

7 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. Keyboard sniffing, anthrax, and the media by DonkPunch · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    One of the more interesting things about the recent anthrax terrorism is the presence of anthrax on the first victim's keyboard.

    The unfortunate victim died as a result of inhaled anthrax. Spores were found on both his keyboard and in his nasal lining.

    Now, I ask, since most people touch their keyboards with their fingers (rather than their nose), how did the spores get from his nasal passage to his keyboard?

    Is it possible the contamination went directly from his nasal passages to the keyboard? Could keyboard sniffing already be a widespread practice amongst people in the press?

    It's certainly something to think about.

    --

    Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.
    1. Re:Keyboard sniffing, anthrax, and the media by I_redwolf · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Simple, the first victim touched the keyboard and then wiped their nose, this allowed the Anthrax spores to be spread through the nasal cavity. It's really a brilliant way to distribute Anthrax if you have a specific target. How many times a day does one touch a keyboard in his/her work place and how many times does the same person wipe their nose?

      For me, I'm always at my keyboard and probably wipe my nose very infrequently and I might even do it without noticing but the Anthrax spores will still be there for a while it's not like they die off in 5 minutes so I eventually will wipe my nose and be infected by Anthrax.

  2. Scary, but honestly... by FatSean · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Do any of you actually do anything that would merit the FBI spying on you?

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    Blar.
  3. This just in by cnkeller · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    The department of education has been dissolved for failing to teach proper english, after it was leaked by the FBI that hundreds of thousands of US slashdot posters used both syntatic and grammatically incorrect English....

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    there are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots

  4. [OT] About your sig by Zen+Mastuh · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I'm definitely getting modded down for this (Moderators: use "Offtopic", please!) off topic post, but frankly I don't get your sig. Do you mean to tell me god has sacks? Does he weigh them out to 7.10 grams?

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    "What is the sound of one belly slapping?"
  5. To hell with them by soupforare · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    They just want all my pr0n passwords!

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    --- Do you believe in the day?
  6. Re:Michael Doesn't Like Me by dragons_flight · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I've had submissions marked as accepted that then waited nearly 12 hours before being posted. Slashdot (generally) tries to spread out the submissions on the front page. That you were rejected so quickly probably means that they had already seen and accepted this guy's story but were waiting till after some of the other constitutional issues stories had had some time to be commented on.