FBI Adds Two Digital Forensic Labs

coondoggie sends us a story from NetworkWorld.com, as is his wont, this one on the FBI opening two new US Regional Computer Forensics Laboratories this week. In these laboratories examiners conduct a growing number of forensic examinations of digital media in support of the investigation and/or prosecution of a federal, state, or local crime. With the addition of the new facilities in Los Angeles and Albuquerque, the FBI will have 16 RCFLs nationwide. And they are needed: "During 2007, RCFL experts conducted 4,634 exams, processing 1,288 terabytes of information. A total of 76,581 digital devices were examined (the most popular media by far — CDs, coming in at 37,424; followed by hard disk drives at 17,378; floppy disks at 11,781; and DVDs at 4,374). The number of CDs, cell phones, and flash media devices examined doubled from the previous year."

Comments

Re:What are all these forsenic labs being used for

[vertinox]

I know it is routine now for investigators to seize computer equipment even in drug arrests, and I wonder how much taxpayer money is being wasted so federal agents can look through internet histories and MSN buddy lists.

Speaking of which, on my latest Equifax report there was a big bold scary headline that says FBI reports that identity theft is the largest growing crime.

Rather than using these vast resources to combat IP Infringment and "Think of the Children" issues, wouldn't it be better devoted to actually fighting what more people actually have their lives ruined by?

Some guy talking nasty in a chat room or a guy hocking pirated DVDs on the corner is no where as near as a threat to me and you as someone who is going to use the lax social security and credit system to open thousands of dollars worth of loan accounts in your name forever damaging your ability to buy a house, get a job, or even get a cell phone without a $1000 security deposit ever again.

The thing is most of these types of crimes are low tech and simply going through people's trash and mailbox so this multi-million dollar system of scanning data is worthless to the real threat the average joe faces.