FBI: Keystone Gmen
George at Orwellian.Org
George at Orwellian.Org
Wed Jul 25 03:47:58 PDT 2001
[ my email is really fucked right now,
gawd only knows how many copies this
single transmission will result in.
apologies in advance.
]
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB99601609210000000.htm
#
# July 25, 2001
#
# FBI Cyber Researcher Unleashes Virus
# That E-Mails Private Agency Documents
#
# By TED BRIDIS
# Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
#
# WASHINGTON -- A researcher in the Federal Bureau of Investiga
# tion's cyber-protection unit unleashed a fast-spreading Internet
# virus that e-mailed private FBI documents to outsiders -- all
# on the eve of a Senate hearing into troubles at the unit.
#
# Although the Sircam virus didn't spread to other computers at
# the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center, it did send
# at least eight documents to a number of outsiders. One, about
# the investigation into an unrelated virus, was marked "official
# use only." The Sircam virus has infected thousands of computers
# since its discovery last week.
#
# FBI spokeswoman Deb Weierman said that no sensitive or classified
# information about continuing investigations was disclosed Tuesday.
# The "official use" designation protects documents from disclosure
# under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
#
# It isn't uncommon for virus researchers to accidentally infect
# their own computers, but the mistake was particularly embarrassing
# because it occurred ahead of a Senate Judiciary panel's oversight
# hearing about the FBI cyber unit's effectiveness. Lawmakers were
# expected to focus on other agencies' failure to cooperate fully
# with the FBI center, and on a perceived lack of trust between
# the FBI and private-sector groups.
#
# The unit generally gets high remarks for its criminal
# investigations, and even critics say the unit is more effective
# than it was a year ago. "The effort here is not to embarrass
# anybody but to stress that a lot of work has to be done," said
# Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona.
#
# Meanwhile, the White House has begun organizing a new
# early-warning network for Internet threats. But unlike the current
# system, it will be coordinated by the Pentagon, not the FBI.
# The mechanism for warning all U.S. military and civilian agencies
# -- and ultimately corporations -- will be dubbed the Cyber-Warning
# and Information Network, or "c-win." Organizers envision dozens
# of computer centers that could sound an alert when a threat is
# identified.
#
# The network is expected to begin operating in October. The FBI
# unit, which currently relays these warnings, came under sharp
# criticism from congressional auditors for issuing tardy alerts.
# Ms. Weierman, the FBI spokeswoman, called the new network a
# "useful mechanism" to offer the government a "technical capability
# that doesn't currently exist." The FBI, she said, wasn't concerned
# it would lose its warning responsibilities.
#
# Tuesday, at least three people said they received some of the
# FBI documents, including a 23-year-old Internet-security expert
# in Belgium, Niels Heinen. He operates a Web site that reports
# on Internet break-ins and speculated that the analyst, Vince
# Rowe, visited the site on the infected computer. Mr. Rowe didn't
# respond to a request for comment.
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