The FBI Employs Hackers And Buys Spy Tools To Surveil Suspects

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-fbi-is-terrified-of-hackers-and-it-employs-them-2013-8



The FBI is terrified of hackers, so it avoids them at all costs, unless of course the agency needs to buy some nifty cyber surveillance tools.

Intel agents have been buying sophisticated "hacking" surveillance tools from mercenary hacker organizations in order to surveil American citizens, and sometimes their ideas are not always legal, reports Jennifer Valentino-Devries and Danny Yadron of the WSJ.

From WSJ:

[Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union], who is presenting on the topic Friday at the DefCon hacking conference in Las Vegas, said information about the practice is slipping out as a small industry has emerged to sell hacking tools to law enforcement. He has found posts and resumes on social networks in which people discuss their work at private companies helping the FBI with surveillance.

The FBI employs a number of hackers who write custom surveillance software, and also buys software from the private sector, former U.S. officials said.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-fbi-is-terrified-of-hackers-and-it-employs-them-2013-8#ixzz2aoIi2yMe

[HipChick]

1. This isn't news...this has been going on for about a decade.

White Hat's have been on payroll for some time

[randome]

2. And the CIA purchases guns. And the NSA buys swivel chairs.

Not sure why this 'story' is noteworthy.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[intaglio]

3. You've never heard of the Black Hat Convention?

It is not just the terrifying "Feds" it is also

Google,
Yahoo,
Kaperski,
IBM,
Microsoft,
AMD
Intel,
To name but a few.

Guess what? All of these employers like to hire the brightest, best and most innovative hardware and software hackers out there. So shall we all applaud the hiring of innovators ...

... or shall we all run in circles screaming that the sky is falling?

[MineralMan]

4. Well, of course it does. Because the Internet exists, you see.

The FBI needs to use technology, just like the rest of us do. Are they supposed to eschew technology, use typewriters, and ignore the Internet and technology? Really?

Silly story.

[Octafish]

5. Did J Edgar Hoover have anything to hide, besides the Mafia?

...OK. And the assassination of President John F. Kennedy?

...OK. And the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

...OK. And the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy?

...OK....

[snooper2]

6. How come they always show pictures of messy room and a dude with a beard?

Hackers can look like this as well LOL