Federal Agents Seek to Loosen Rules on Hacking Computers - Bloomberg

Source: Federal Agents Seek to Loosen Rules on Hacking Computers - Bloomberg



DOJ Wants to Expand Authority to Break Into Suspects' Computers

(May 9, 2014)

The US Justice Department (DOJ) has issued a request to the US Judicial
Conference standing committee to expand its authority to gain remote
access to computers during investigations. DOJ maintains it needs the
authority to access computers outside the jurisdiction of an
investigation because criminal schemes are increasingly crossing
jurisdictions. The proposal has raised concerns among civil rights
groups, which say that allowing this activity could pose a threat to
Internet security and Fourth Amendment protections. The remote access
would be achieved through vulnerabilities known to DOJ but kept secret
from the public, thus posing a security threat. The US court system
currently allows magistrate judges to issue search warrants for property
outside their districts only in limited cases. The DOJ request will be
considered at the meeting of the US courts' Committee on Rules of
Practice and Procedure later this month.

SOURCES:

http://www.darkreading.com/government/fbi-seeks-license-to-hack-bot-infected-pcs/d/d-id/1252655?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-09/federal-agents-seek-to-loosen-rules-on-hacking-computers.html

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248242/DOJ_seeks_new_authority_to_hack_and_search_remote_computers?taxonomyId=17

http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/RulesAndPolicies/rules/Agenda%20Books/Standing/ST2014-05.pdf#page499