Category Archives: Comey

FBI has unit solely devoted to its ‘going dark’ problem

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The FBI has formed a unit inside its Operational Technology Division (OTD) to specifically address law enforcement’s efforts to bypass encryption on various devices, a problem it refers to as “going dark.” The unit comes as a result of a Justice Department’s Inspector General report that finds poor communication within the FBI during its prolonged encryption battle with Apple in 2016. The new “going dark” unit is designed to help streamline technical investigations within the FBI, including finding a weak point into various iPhone models. The IG issued a report Tuesday that examines the FBI’s work during the San Bernardino terror attack investigation. That investigation led to a subsequent debate over the FBI’s inability to access shooter Syed Farook’s iPhone. The device, an iPhone5c, was protected by built-in encryption. The report concluded that none of the FBI’s public testimony was false — they did not have the capability to access the iPhone’s contents — but poor […]

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FBI Director: If left unchecked, Russian hackers will change vote tallies in a future U.S. election

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FBI Director James Comey predicts that if left undeterred, Russian hackers will one day attempt to change the vote tally in a U.S. election. Comey said as much during a public hearing Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Members asked Comey a series of questions concerning Russia’s ability to conduct damaging cyber-operations against both the U.S. and its allies. “In my view, [Russia is] the greatest threat of any nation on earth given their intention and capability,” Comey blankly stated. Last year, in the months preceding the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, the Homeland Security Department discovered a series of digital attacks aimed specifically at voter registration databases used in different states. These systems are disconnected from and do not affect machines that record or tally actual votes, and there is no evidence to suggest that Russian hackers were able to alter vote counts in the 2016 election. Some officials fear, however, that […]

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