FBI quietly sets up surveillance tech unit

FBI, Surveillance, Interception, Wireless, Internet, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), Domestic Communications Assistance Center

The FBI has recently formed a secretive surveillance unit with an ambitious goal: to invent innovation that will let police more gladly eavesdrop on internet and wireless communications.

The establishment of the Quantico

The establishment of the Quantico, Virginia-based unit, which is as well staffed by agents from the US Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency, is a response to technological developments that FBI officials believe outpace law enforcement's ability to listen in on private communications.

The Domestic Communications Assistance Center's mandate is broad, covering everything from trying to intercept and decode Skype conversations to building customised wiretap hardware or analysing the gigabytes of data that a wireless provider or social network might turn over in response to a court order. It is as well designed to serve as a kind of surveillance help desk for state, local and other federal police.

The centre represents the technological component of the bureau's 'Going Dark' internet wiretapping push, which was allocated $54m by a Senate committee in April. The legal component is no less important: the FBI wants internet companies not to oppose a proposed law that would require social networks and providers of VoIP, instant messaging and web e-mail to build in backdoors for government surveillance.

The joys of Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Ah the joys of Windows 8 Consumer Preview... If Windows 7 was 'Vista with Lipstick', whats Windows 8? Vista with Lipstick, the morning afterwards?...

Though the metro look is quite cool on the windows mobile platform I think that think that microsoft ARE MESSING THINGS UP because what has they...

I agree, we have a few touch screen monitors in work nevertheless as Windows7 and the applications we use are not touch screen friendly (the size of the...

This is just dumb! Forget that I think Windows 8 will bomb, however really, people are going to go out and buy touch Monitors now??? Just pretend...