Declan, Here's a #4 #4 - NIPC is looking for high profile missions to back up up next year's request for a massive appropriations increase and is hoping to stir up the malcontents with incendiary leaks authenticated by a press release about NIPC internal virus troubles. The negative effects of the current report about internal virus infections will more than be offset by the praise when this sophisticated strategy is revealed. :Occam() it and place your bets $20 on #1 to win

There seem to be three explanations.

1. Tim is having some fun with us. It would be easy for him to do so, and NIPC (an FBI subagency) has been in the news today, with a WSJ article this morning posted to the list and a Senate hearing this afternoon. Tim's written similar things before and posted them straight-faced: http://www.politechbot.com/p-01332.html

2. Someone is spoofing NIPC email and having fun with Tim.

3. This really did originate from within NIPC and is a major cypherpunk intelligence find. The WSJ article (http://www.politechbot.com/p-02306.html) says NIPC has been hit by Sircam, which scans hard drives for email addresses in documents and mail archives, according to descriptions I've read. Reports say Sircam emails working documents (in My Documents or whatnot folder) and this could have happened.

-Declan