The FBI's Spyware: Is it Watching You?
Privacy advocates, prepare thy letter writing hands. A student at Timberline High School, outside Seattle, Washington, has recently been arrested for calling in repeated bomb threats. That, you should have no problem with.The scary part is the manner in which he was caught and convicted. Josh Glazebook, 15, taunted authorities via e-mail and even created a MySpace profile called Timberlinebombinfo (shown), which used the alias Doug. It's through this profile that the FBI was able to track down Josh. Using a fake profile, the FBI sent a message to Timberlinebombinfo that installed a hacker-style trojan horse on his PC. The FBI spyware collected a wide range of information including the computer's IP address, MAC address, open ports, a list of running programs, the operating system type, version and serial number, preferred Internet browser and version, the computer's registered owner and registered company name, the current logged-in user name, the last-visited URL and the IP Address of every computer it connects to. Phew...
The FBI was able to install this program without a suspect or wiretap warrant because "under a ruling this month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ... Internet users have no 'reasonable expectation of privacy' in the data when using the Internet."
So note: Simply using the Internet disqualifies you from normal expectations of privacy and safety of your data.
See Wired for the full story.
Related Links:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Jennifer said 2:05PM on 7-23-2007
I say go for it.
Reply
Daniel S. Mawn said 2:14PM on 7-23-2007
This doesn't bother me at all, in fact it's about time this info got out. To many times I'm apalled at what is sent over AOL's "post your thoughts". These sick people out there need to know that they aren't really hiding behind their fake identities. that sooner or later someone will come knocking at their door! But to all those who fear "Big Brother" is watching....if you've done nothing wrong then you have no fear!
Reply
Gail said 2:41PM on 7-23-2007
GREAT!!!
Reply
Penny said 2:43PM on 7-23-2007
I agree..I think if it's a way to stop people from terrorizing, abusing or doing any kind of crime, I believe our Federal Goverment should have access to any information to proceed to stop the person/persons..However, I don't feel as if this should be done at State level and our local police dept. is given access to one's privacy..
Reply
Common-Sense Prevails said 2:45PM on 7-23-2007
DANIEL MAWN - I totally agree...couldn't have said it better myself!
To all those who claim that big brother thrives on public fear: Not all of us shutter at the thought of someone checking what they're doing. What marginal behavior of yours are you afraid they'll detect?
Reply
Jason said 2:51PM on 7-23-2007
Yeah...say hello to Big Brother.
You people and your willingness to surrender your freedoms is disgusting.
Yes THIS KID needed to be caught.
But what about some time in the not so distant future you're talking to someone about the time you tried pot in college but didn't like it. Guess what? It's an admission to a crime that law enforcement has access to and now you can go to jail because you willingly applauded letting go of your freedoms.
Reply
Michael said 2:53PM on 7-23-2007
Absolutely I agree that people should be held accountable for their actions both on- and offline. However there should be a system of checks and balances such as exist everywhere else (i.e. search and seizure warrants). As near as I can tell from this article there WAS probable cause but no real procedure applied here. As far as Big Brother...he is watching. I've nothing to hide, however I like my privacy very much. I refuse to bow to the moral or any other majority as far as my privacy is concerned and having something to hide or not is irrelevant. So no I won't be polishing my jack boots and marching down the street yelling "For the greater good" and "Resistance is futile" at the top of my poor ignorant lungs. Wait this just in....Patriot act: 1 Constituion: 0. I suppose there is no privacy anymore. Look it up. I'll be waiting for the men in the black ops gear to bust in to arrest me and my family for exersizing my rights that used to exist. RIP
Reply
Tigermoon638 said 2:54PM on 7-23-2007
Does this mean that hacking is now legal?
Reply
keith said 3:03PM on 7-23-2007
to all you minions who are ready to give up all your privacy to our govt.
I'm sick of the old saying" if you aren't doing anything wrong, there's nothing to worry about"
That's BS. What you are doing you may think it's not wrong, but others have different ideas about it. One of these days, they'll show up at your front door or your job. Then remember, you asked for it. Naive dumb-asses.
Reply
wahoo said 3:12PM on 7-23-2007
yea that means hacking in legal now
Reply
dal33t1313 said 3:28PM on 7-23-2007
Don't be stupid!!
Viruses don't solve a thing!!!
Reply
lnnstr9 said 3:30PM on 7-23-2007
As in 1930s Germany, If you're not Jewish,Gypsy,Gay,Jehovah Witness or any number of different folks then you have nothing to worry about. {Remember the frog in the pan}
Reply
grif8013 said 3:39PM on 7-23-2007
The FBI was able to install this program without a suspect or wiretap warrant because "under a ruling this month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ... Internet users have no 'reasonable expectation of privacy' in the data when using the Internet
Thats a scarry ruling if you ask me...Yeah its great they were able to catch this kid...but think about this each and every time you use the internet to pay a bill or search for something. If the government is able to create this type of softeare and tap into your privacy at any time and for any reason it's definately contradicting what the constitution stands for and we are left without any privacy. Warrantless search and seizure is prohibited by the contitution. We the people are provided this in the 4th amendment people. In todays world so much of the internet focuses on strictly telling customers or consumers that the data is exactly that "PRIVATE" What about that? Or the other false advertising that goes on or anything else...
Reply
geoff said 3:40PM on 7-23-2007
If you have nothing to hide there is nothing to worry about.
Reply
Donn said 3:41PM on 7-23-2007
Just to head off the trolls. The FBI got a warrant from a federal judge to use this, just like if they wanted a search warrant.
Reply
Veronica said 3:52PM on 7-23-2007
Yea for big brother! Hacking is legal its called adware. ""under a ruling this month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ... Internet users have no 'reasonable expectation of privacy' in the data when using the Internet." Means everything you type on the new which includes your banking, billpaying and all the dirty sites you visit are seen by Many.
All you need is the persons id to see everything you have on the computer!
Reply
Dan said 3:53PM on 7-23-2007
Way to go Keith - folks - YOU may think what you are doing is ok, but there are a lot of people who may think otherwise.Stay the hell out of my private life, what next? video cams in every house in the USA.
Reply
Ed said 3:55PM on 7-23-2007
You people are giving your right to privacy be letting the government hack into your own computers. i hate this new law. i have nothing to hide, but now you are not safe from the fbi if you write a personal or intimate email to a lover. they will read it and take action to something that is not criminal at all but may look assume it is criminal. the fbi and poilice should crack down on the chat rooms and the myspaces websites and shut them down if they are so concerned with criminal activity. it seems that all pedophiles and sexual deviants are on those sites and thats who they should be going after more that checking on everyone personal activities. if i wanted to look at a porn website, i should be aloud with nobody spying on me and seeing that i looked a bikini website or something more hardcore. i think they are just invading our privacy and i no longer do anything on the computer except check my email. i lost all interest once i heard the fbi invades your privacy.
Reply
voncoles said 3:56PM on 7-23-2007
George Orwell fictional character Winston did not prevail. But, his idealogy was quite persuasive. Yes, big brother is alive and well. I can find no reason why this young man shouldn't be punished. However, there should be a limit as to how far the Intellegence Agencies can go. The invasion of links to other people privacy maybe taking it a bit to far. What if it was you, and all of your personal files and personal data was retrieved. Then you would find yourself an accessory to a crime that perhaps you knew nothing about. Can't take it back. Snooping into unauthorized files is no laughing matter. Why can't they seem to find Osama Bin Laden? Come on guys, to much, is simply to much!
Reply
Veronica said 3:58PM on 7-23-2007
Yea for big brother! Hacking is legal its called adware!!! ""under a ruling this month by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ... Internet users have no 'reasonable expectation of privacy' in the data when using the Internet." Means everything you type on the internet which includes your banking, billpaying and all the dirty sites you visit are seen by Many.
All you need is the persons id to see everything you have on the computer!
Reply