FBI Sought Approval To Use Spyware Through FISC

An anonymous reader writes "Wired is reporting that the FBI sought approval to use its custom spyware program, CIPAV, from the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in terrorism or spying investigations. Affidavits prepared for the court are among 3,000 pages of documents gathered, but not yet released, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from Wired. The FBI hasn't answered any questions about its use of the CIPAV since the program's existence became widely known in July. The FISC is generally regarded as a rubber stamp; it approved over 4,000 surveillance requests in 2005 and 2006[PDF], rejecting none."

Comments

Meh, IT reporting these days...

[Red Flayer]

FTA:

An FBI spokeswoman then invited Wired to submit a list of questions about the technology, but hasn't gotten back to us.

Well, what should Wired expect? The FBI invited Wired to submit list of questions. Now wired is compaining that the FBI isn't following up on their request for questions?

Sheesh, I mean, I know IT reporting has gone down teh tubes, but really... maybe if Wired wants to get info from the FBI, they should actually respond to the invite and submit questions -- maybe then they'd hear back.

/Sorry, deliberately obtuse tonight.

Re:Well, I'm glad I use Linux

[eitreach]

You ain't paranoid unless you use AmigaOS for safe browsing.

Re:Government Spyware

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone should know by now that AMD, Intel, TI, Arm, IBM, Motorola, etc. have all put secret back doors in their CPU's for just such an occaision. Big brother isn't just watching you, he's in your microcode.

FBI Spyware

[gnutoo]

I would just like to know, what could the FBI do to make it's spy ware different from anything else out there in the wild?

Features

• Plug in compatible with IRS 2.0
• Hides from CIA version, dumps state, local and foreign clients.
• Still works with punch cards left over from Operation Paperclip.
• Used by more libraries and newspapers than any other client.
• Unique money back promise.
• Will only cost you your liberty.

It's not really funny.

CIPAV

[peektwice]

According to the /. post from StonyandCher, CIPAV stands for 'Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier'.
Yup...it's a computer....yup it's an IP address. Ok, it'sverified, now what?
What it should be called is CIGS..."Completely Illegal Government Spyware".

2003?

[ImaLamer]

I'm betting this is about the same time that people like Ted Kennedy were showing up on the No-Fly list.

They say it was a mistake, but I still doubt it. Might have saved his life though; I once maintained a list, on a now defunct site, that listed Senators killed in plane crashes. Oddest thing, almost all Democrats and the Republicans were pacifists or otherwise "left-leaning" (Paul Wellstone [D] and John Heinz [R] for example).

Sure, all just a coincidence, I'm sure of it. Well, pretty sure. Maybe we should be putting spyware on the FBI's machines?

Oh yeah I can see it now.

[seeker_1us]

"Osama, this email attachment says 'see Brittney Spears naked'!"

"What are you waiting for man? Open it!"