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DOJ Seeks New Authority to Hack

posted by Woods on Tuesday May 13 2014, @04:49PM   
from the hack-and-search-sounds-like-a-boring-dungeon-crawl dept.

AnonTechie writes:

The U.S. Department of Justice wants new authority to hack and search remote computers during investigations, saying the new rules (Giant pdf) are needed because of complex criminal schemes sometimes using millions of machines spread across the country. Digital rights groups say the request from the DOJ for authority to search computers outside the district where an investigation is based raises concerns about Internet security and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. "By expanding federal law enforcement's power to secretly exploit 'zero-day' vulnerabilities in software and Internet platforms, the proposal threatens to weaken Internet security for all of us," Nathan Freed Wessler, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said by email.

• typical typical (Score: 5, Insightful) by redneckmother on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:24PM

  by redneckmother (3597) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:24PM (#42809)

  The US gov is supposed to "defend" citizens against such attacks - not pursue and exploit them. The more they crack (and hide same), the less secure US citizens will be.

  --
  Mas cerveza por favor.

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• Re:typical (Score: 4, Insightful) by Professr on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:38PM

  by Professr (1629) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:38PM (#42816)

  Government: "Citizens less secure? Good! That will remind them why they. need. us."

  Parent