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FBI Says They're Now Working 24/7 To Investigate Hackers and Network Attacks

Posted by samzenpus on from the better-late-than-never dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is finally stepping up its game when it comes to hackers. Maybe it was Anonymous that did it or maybe it was statements from the US Secretary of Defense two weeks ago, but either way, the FBI is now hunting hackers 24/7." I'm happy that the FBI no longer has an investigation schedule when it comes to online crime, but I have to think that I'm not the only one who assumed they were doing this before.

14 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Rly? by ugen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Since this is /., I am not quite sure how to react - perhaps someone will enlighten me?

    Do we *like* the idea that a federal agency is taking online crime seriously and increasing its investigative efforts? Or do we decry even larger invasion of privacy by the lead-fisted government into private citizens lives? Assuming, of course, that any investigation of online crimes would have to at a very least get access to various online resources, logs and data, most likely not voluntarily shared by many parties who go to great lengths to be difficult to identify. You know what *that* means.

    1. Re:Rly? by Tanktalus · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Don't worry. Excepting Hawaii, the US working hours are only about 10 hours long (9AM on the East coast to 5PM on the West coast), the rest have been outsourced to India and China.

      More seriously, if the FBI is using proper legal procedures, including valid (not secret) warrants, then fighting crime is perfectly valid. Well, assuming they're fighting what we'd call crime, I suppose. If they're going after small-time pirates for downloading the latest American Idol, it seems like a waste. If they're going after the guys actually trying to lure kids for child porn, or those trying to hack in to the federal government or one of the corporations that owns the federal government, then the question is why they weren't doing it before.

    2. Re:Rly? by Mike+Buddha · · Score: 2

      It depends on who you want to troll.

      --
      by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
    3. Re:Rly? by HPXX · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I was about to post a longer post but changed my mind. The conclusion I reached was: No, we don't like this since we can't trust them. As you mentioned they will have to collect data, and they will misuse it. Once they have this data, they will stray away from the original purpose and be used for solving lesser (easier) crimes in order to bring statistics up.

      How often is the data they collect actually used to attack and stop the source, rather than the distributors? Cutting a leg off won't do very much.

  2. I'm not sure that's good news by Trepidity · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless the FBI's rate of doing good vs. harm in cybersecurity significantly improves, I think I would've preferred the old schedule. Not sure we need a 24/7 task force dedicated to extraditing filesharers from other countries.

    --
    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    1. Re:I'm not sure that's good news by Paracelcus · · Score: 2

      They will continue to "catch" the same old dumbasses who like to take really cool sounding "hacker" names and let the people around them know how cool and powerful they are!

      --
      I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
  3. Callcentric by Tokolosh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I hope (vainly) that they are concentrating on real problems, like the DDoS attack on Callcentric. (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/CallCentric-Victim-of-Devastating-TwoWeek-DDoS-Attack-121667?r=0.832118027416197)

    But their priorities are pobably set by the MAFIAA.

    --
    Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
  4. Define hacking by arctus · · Score: 2

    The only mainstream hacking I ever hear about is usually "protest" hacking or "shock and awe" hacking against major organizations.

    I really hope the FBI is focusing more on improving their own cyber warfare capability against countries such as China that may have insidious intentions for our vulnerabilities.

    I mean, if Playstation Network gets hacked I guess its a sad day, but I really hope they're working above that level of hacking at this point.

  5. Re:Pet peeve... by MyLongNickName · · Score: 4, Funny

    can we get a 24/7 task-force after rachel from card services?

    Better yet, seal team six.

    My understanding is this is the real reason that we sent a Seal team to Pakistan. Here is part of the transcript I intercepted.

    Team Six: It appears intelligence was not accurate.
    H Clinton: Oh no. You can't mean....
    Team Six: No, it isn't Rachel, it is just Osama.
    H Clinton: Damn
    Team Six: Aborting mission....
    Obama: Maybe we can get some good press out of this anyhow
    H Clinton: Maybe.
    Team Six: You want us to off him?
    Obama: Yeah, what the heck. It won't be the same, but I am sure it will get me some points in the approval ratings. God knows I'm not doing well right now.
    Team Six: You got it.

    and that my friends is the rest of the story.

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
  6. Nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Unless something ridiculous has changed, they've had agents dedicated to computer crime 24/7 for the last 20 years.

    From personal experience.

    The only thing in the article that's noteworthy is their shifting focus to rapid attribution. That's an incredibly difficult goal, especially given the laws regarding search and seizure. If anything raises a red flag for me, it's this. Historically law enforcement in general has always been behind due to the very nature of crime. With Internet related crime this issue is only amplified. I would love to know how they're getting around the red tape that has always slowed down investigations of this type.

  7. WTF were their hours BEFORE? by crazyjj · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hello, you've reached the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If this call is cybercrime-related, please call back during business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time, Monday through Friday. If this call is related to a non-cybercrime investigation, please press "1" now for an agent. If this call is related to bizarre serial killers or UFO phenomena, please press "2" now for our X-files division. Or press "0" for an operator at any time.

    No need to leave a callback number, we already know who you are.

    --
    What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
  8. I predict.... by runeghost · · Score: 3, Insightful

    that this will be almost as effective as the War On Drugs. At least for getting the FBI more funding and more power to ignore/violate/destroy civil liberties.

  9. Shit assignment by hemo_jr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Notice to screw-ups, midnight to 8 am shifts have now opened up in hacker hunting squad. Get your act together or you will be assigned.

  10. Re:They or someone need to kill the... by Froggels · · Score: 2

    They aren't "people". They are "foreign nationals". Please get your terminology straight.