FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

[sabra]

Source: Wired

FBI agents trying to track the source of e-mailed bomb threats against a Washington high school last month sent the suspect a secret surveillance program designed to surreptitiously monitor him and report back to a government server, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by Wired News.

The court filing offers the first public glimpse into the bureau's long-suspected spyware capability, in which the FBI adopts techniques more common to online criminals.

The software was sent to the owner of an anonymous MySpace profile linked to bomb threats against Timberline High School near Seattle. The code led the FBI to 15-year-old Josh Glazebrook, a student at the school, who on Monday pleaded guilty to making bomb threats, identity theft and felony harassment.

In an affidavit seeking a search warrant to use the software, filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington, FBI agent Norman Sanders describes the software as a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV.

Read more: http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2007/07/fbi_spyware

[EFerrari]

1. This is scary.

[seriousstan]

2. Almost as scary as some half-ass 15 yrold sending bomb threats for days on end.

They got a court order and caught this little fuck. Doesn't scare me.

[EFerrari]

3. I'm glad they caught him but the FBI has a history of using this stuff

on political opponents when they shouldn't. :shrug:

[Kagemusha]

5. Then aren't they going to use it on political opponents regardless?

If that's what we expect and we remain powerless to do anything about it, the least we can hope for is that they'll catch a few criminals along the way and not waste all of the taxpayer's money.

Sorry if that sounds cynical, that'd be because it is. But just because there's evil in the world should not make good unimportant.

[EFerrari]

6. You're right. I'm just not awake enough to be cynical yet.

:)

[kestrel91316]

9. EXACTLY. Anybody who thinks they haven't already done it to ALL of us on DU

probably needs their head examined. OF COURSE they use it against their political opponents. Using it against "terrorists" is just an added benefit.

I don't care, personally, if the fascists know everything I am saying. They know I hate Bush with a purple passion. And I have no plans to shut up about it.

[seriousstan]

12. Anybody who thinks they HAVE already done it to ALL of us on DU

probably needs their head examined. Delusions of grandeur are rampant among keyboard warriors.

[Kagemusha]

4. Yeah, they got a court order, that's almost quaint these days.

And proper. I don't plan on getting used to the idea though.

[TexasLawyer]

7. If there's a valid warrant, then hell yeah--

hunt down terrorists, bombers, people making death threats, criminals, etc...

In an affidavit seeking a search warrant to use the software, filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington, FBI agent Norman Sanders describes the software as a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV.

[Ian David]

8. Agreed. But what happens if it's secretly integrated into software products? n/t

[Gruenemann]

10. Maybe it already has been. n/t

[Ian David]

11. Companies like GoToMyPC make me nervous for exactly THAT reason.

You click on the link, tell them Al Franken sent you... and do they then install the program that monitors what Liberals do with their computers?