FC: FBI gets cash to spend on anti-encryption, broadband snooping
Declan McCullagh
declan at well.com
Sat Jul 28 10:29:41 PDT 2001
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,45632,00.html
According to the report accompanying a spending bill that's awaiting a
floor vote in the Senate:
* The FBI will receive an extra $7 million for technology to thwart
encryption. The appropriations committee intends for it to be
spent on: "(1) analysis/exploitation of systems to allow access to
data pre-encryption, (2) recognition/decryption of data hidden in
plain sight, and (3) decryption of encrypted data."
* Another $7 million goes to a plan to improve "intercept
capabilities." The fed-speak for this is "developing broadband
capabilities, and procuring prototypes capable of intercepting
transmissions outside of the FBI's technical reach." Translation:
Create better ways to eavesdrop on cable modems and DSL
connections.
* Antitrust enforcement gets a boost. The division, best known
recently for its dogged pursuit of Microsoft, receives $3.6
million extra, but $10 million less than the Bush administration
requested. The committee predicts a slew of mergers because of
"the collapse of high technology stocks, and the resultant
downward pressure on all stock prices."
* Las Vegas, St. Louis, Charleston and Kansas City will split $6
million earmarked for gun surveillance technology. The plan is to
spend it on acoustic sensors scattered around downtown areas so
the location of a gunshot can be triangulated and located.
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