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Question 4:
Has the Secret Service os0someone acting under its direction
ever created a computer bulletin board or network that was
offered to the public? Please describe any such bulletin board
or networks.
Response:
No, the U. S. Secret Service has not created a computer bulletin
board nor a network which was offered to members of the
public. We have created an undercover bulletin board which
was offered to a select number of individuals who had
demonstrated an interest in conducting criminal activities.
This was done with the guidance of the U.S. Attorney's office
and was consistent with the Electronic Communications
Privacy Act.
Question 5:
Has the Secret Service ever collected, reviewed or
"downloaded" transmissions or information from any computer
network or bulletin board? What procedures does the Secret
Service have for obtaining information from computer bulletin
boards or networks? Please list the occasions where
information has been obtained since January 1988, including
the identity of the bulletin boards or networks, the type of
information obtained, and how that information was obtained
(was it downloaded, for example).
Response:
Yes, during the course of several investigations, the U. S.
Secret Service has "down loaded" information from computer
bulletin boards. A review of information gained in this manner
(in an undercover capacity after being granted access to the
system by it's system administrator) is performed in order to
determine whether or not that bulletin board is being used to
traffic in unauthorized access codes or to gather other
information of a criminal intelligence nature. At all times,
our methods are in keeping with the procedures as outlined in
the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).
If a commercial network was suspected of containing
information concerning a criminal activity, we would obtain
the proper court order to obtain this information in keeping
with the ECPA.
The U. S. Secret Service does not maintain a record of the
bulletin boards we have accessed.
Question 6:
Does the Secret Service employ, or is it considering employing,
any system or program that could automatically review the
contents of a computer file, scan the file for key items,
phrases or data elements, and flag them or recommend further
investigative action? If so, what is the status of any such
system. Please describe this system and research being
conducted to develop it.
Response:
The Secret Service has pioneered the concept of a Computer
Diagnostic Center (CDC) to facilitate the review and
evaluation of electronically stored information. To streamline
the tedious task of reviewing thousands of files per
investigation, we have gathered both hardware and software
tools to assist our search of files for specific information or
characteristics. Almost all of these products are
commercially developed products and are available to the
public. It is conceivable that an artificial intelligence process
may someday be developed and have application to this law
enforcement function but we are unaware if such a system is
being developed.
The process of evaluating the information and making
recommendations for further investigative action is currently
a manual one at our CDC. We process thousands of computer
disks annually as well as review evidence contained in other
types of storage devices (tapes, hard drives, etc.). We are
constantly seeking ways to enhance our investigative mission.
The development of high tech resources like the CDC saved
investigative manhours and assist in the detection of criminal
activity.
Again, thank you for your interest. Should you have any further
questions, we will be happy to address them.
Sincerely,
/s/
John R. Simpson, Director
cc: Honorable Charles E. Schumer