Intercepting e-mail eyed by Ottawa

[M Taylor]

Intercepting e-mail eyed by Ottawa
Privacy issue: Spy agency weighs secrecy against cyber attacks
<http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001016/430467.html>
National Post, October 16, 2000, Jim Bronskill

BEGIN QUOTE
Federal officials are wrestling with the privacy implications of
intercepting e-mail messages during attempts to zero in on computer
viruses.

A newly declassified report by Canada's electronic spy agency indicates
the issue is among the thorny legal questions that need to be
clarified before going ahead with a planned national centre to protect
vital information networks.

The Communications Security Establishment report, obtained under the
Access to Information Act, stresses the need for policy guidance
to help the proposed information protection co-ordination centre
investigate viruses and cyber attacks.

"The interception of e-mail messages may be required when tracking down
viruses since most viruses are distributed through the e-mail
system," says the CSE report, prepared in April. "This may be seen as an
invasion of privacy but in some cases it may be necessary in order to
ensure network security." It notes that existing case law deals with
similar scenarios but the results are "still subject to interpretation."
...
END QUOTE
rest of text:
<http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001016/430467.html>

It is not very clear what the CSE et all have in mind, perhaps a CALEA[1]
like wiretapping party house or Carnivore [2].

-M Taylor

[1] Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (U.S. Gov't)
     <http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/CALEA/>
[2] http://www.epic.org/privacy/carnivore/

--- end forwarded text


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