FBI
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Security researcher Marcus Hutchins pleads not guilty, returns to Twitter
After being nabbed by the FBI while leaving DefCon, the security researcher who singlehandedly neutralized the WannaCry malware attack earlier this year is back online. Marcus Hutchins appeared for his arraignment at a federal court in Wisconsin on Monday where he entered a not guilty plea and successfully argued that he should be allowed internet access. Read More
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FBI account of tracking and arresting an online ‘sextortionist’ is grimly satisfying
Tales of internet trolls and worse things are common to hear about — that is, if you’re not experiencing their effects yourself, as many are. But while those stories often end in the victim uselessly soliciting the help of Facebook management or clueless law enforcement, this one ends up with the perpetrator in question, a low-rent script kiddie who targeted girls, completely owned… Read More
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WannaCry hero heads into Tuesday hearing as the security community crowdfunds his defense
Over the weekend, the security community raised legal funds for Marcus Hutchins, the researcher famed for stopping the spread of the malware known as WannaCry. Hutchins, also known as MalwareTech, was arrested by the FBI last week for his alleged role in disseminating Kronos, a banking trojan that first wrought havoc in 2014. Read More
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Where Trump’s FBI nominee stands on tech’s hot privacy issues
While questions about Russia attracted more initial scrutiny at his Senate confirmation hearing today, Trump’s proposed James Comey replacement Chris Wray did offer a few clues on his ideas about the digital privacy of American citizens. Read More
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Highlights from James Comey’s first testimony since Trump fired him
Today, the former FBI director who ran afoul of President Trump appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee in its ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It was James Comey’s first appearance since he was fired from his role as the director of the FBI. Read More
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Where to watch the James Comey testimony online and on TV
Former FBI Director James Comey is set to give testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding his relationship with Trump during the Russia/Mike Flynn investigation. Yesterday, his prepared statement went public — a seven-page document that tells the story of Trump’s pressure for loyalty from the FBI. Needless to say, people are anxious to watch the public testimony. Read More
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Senators ask FBI to look into FCC’s cyberattack claims
The FCC claimed earlier this month that the comment system by which people can weigh in on the proposal to kill net neutrality had been on the receiving end of a distributed denial-of-service attack. Today, a group of Senators asked that the FBI look into it. Read More
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Citing FBI handling of Clinton emails, Donald Trump fires James Comey
President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey. In his letter to Comey, Trump said the move was recommended by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. According to the White House, the firing is effective immediately, and it’s already searching for a new FBI director. Read More
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FBI confirms that it is investigating link between Russia and Trump campaign
Today in a hearing with the House Select Intelligence Committee, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his agency is in fact investigating ties between Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Trump campaign. Read More
Latest Crunch Report
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The FBI’s new online FOIA portal is now live
It’s March, and beyond seasonal allergies and college basketball, that means the FBI’s controversial changes to its FOIA request system are now fully implemented. For reporters and government transparency advocates, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is an essential tool. Enacted in 1966, the act requires the government to provide answers to specific requests for information… Read More
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Sen. Wyden presses for more answers as FBI responds to questions about its new FOIA system
In the face of criticism around its new FOIA process, the FBI moved to clarify some questions surrounding the online portal that will replace its existing process starting March 1. The FOIA changes, initially reported by the Daily Dot earlier this week, set off a chain of controversy that on Friday made it all the way to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, an established voice in online privacy. In an… Read More
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FBI axes FOIA requests by email, so dust off your fax machine
As tech-savvy government efforts like 18F and the USDS take technological strides forward, other parts of the government are abandoning modern technology altogether. Starting next month, the FBI will no longer accept Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by email. In lieu of its popular email service, the FBI suggests sending a fax or snail mail, a procedural change that has more to… Read More
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Justice Department to probe of FBI’s handling of Clinton email case
The Inspector General of the Justice Department announced today that it is looking into allegations that the FBI acted improperly in regards to a number of issues connected with the 2016 election, particularly its handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe. Read More
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FBI will receive ‘limited’ Twitter firehose access through Dataminr, but has to watch its step
The FBI has publicly disclosed its intent to get at the “mission critical” Twitter firehose through third party monitoring service Dataminr. But Twitter, which has a 5 percent stake in Dataminr and of course has sovereign control over the firehose, recently told the company to stop providing data to intelligence agencies. So what’s happening here? Read More
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Report: Yahoo scanned users’ email for U.S. intelligence agencies
Yahoo’s trust with users is damaged today by a Reuters report that claims the company developed a custom program to search all users’ incoming email for specific queries given by U.S. intelligence officials. “We’ve worked hard over the years to earn our users’ trust and we fight hard to preserve it,” Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer says in the opening to the… Read More
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FBI recommends no charges for Hillary Clinton over use of personal email servers
While noting that Hillary Clinton and her staff were “extremely careless” in using a series of personal e-mail servers during her time as Secretary of State, the FBI recommended the Department of Justice bring no formal charges against the presumptive Democratic nominee, FBI Director James Comey said today in a press conference. During its investigation, the FBI wasn’t able… Read More
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FBI built a massive facial recognition database without proper oversight
The FBI steadily, stealthily compiled a massive facial recognition database without oversight and in disregard of federal law, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office. The bombshell report reveals that the FBI dipped into driver’s license photo databases from 16 states, as well as passport and visa photo databases from the State Department, feeding… Read More
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The FBI is working on a tattoo tracking system that has privacy groups up in arms
According to research unearthed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the FBI has teamed with government scientists to work on a technology system designed to track tattoos. In 2014, the Imaging wing of the the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created the Tattoo Recognition Technology with help from the FBI. Among the group’s earliest tasks was the creation of a… Read More
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Supreme Court moves to expand FBI’s hacking authority
The Supreme Court approved hotly contested amendments to federal criminal procedure today that, if accepted by Congress, will expand the FBI’s ability to hack into computer networks. The rule at the heart of the debate is Criminal Rule 41, which limits judges’ authority to authorize search warrants. Magistrate judges can usually only approve warrants within their jurisdiction… Read More
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