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[Posted on Wed, May 24 2006]
FBI Combating Digital CrimeAn Action News Exclusive
Source: WPVI/6 Action News web site
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The digital age has brought us serious digital crime, and the FBI is getting up to speed to combat it.
An FBI lab is so new, it hasn't even open yet, not scheduled to open until July. But we got an exclusive sneak peak of the FBI's new weapon on crime in the Delaware Valley.
J.P. McDonald/FBI: "This is the Philadelphia Regional Computer Forensics Lab."
Located on the 3rd floor of the Radnor Financial Center, the FBI's highly secured, state of the art facility is still in the stages of being put together. But it will soon become Philadelphia's Regional Computer Forensics Lab, RCFL.
McDonald: "We'll have, I believe 11 people starting full time here in July, we have expansion up to 22."
The kind of criminals they will be going after are not your run of the mill type. They are sophisticated with high tech tools.
McDonald: "A regular watch, people think of time of day and stuff, but actually you pull it out, it's actually a USB storage device."
A thief uses such a tool to steal somebody's information from their digital device.
McDonald: "You just plug it in to any USB port that they have right here."
"So you could download files from somebody's computer?"
"Hundreds of thousands of files right here."
"Then there's this device."
McDonald: "Regular pen, same type of thing, it actually writes, but when you unscrew it, another USB
device."
"And the average Joe would never know it?"
"Would not know it at all."
Indeed, many people in law enforcement would overlook such potential evidence. But a trained FBI forensics examiner would know that these items, a cell phone, an iPod or for that matter any digital device could contain potential evidence.
McDonald: "We'll find anything that's on there."
The lab will join ten other similar labs across the country focusing on cyber and other crimes of the digital age. Such labs have already played key roles in a number of high profile federal cases like the BTK serial killer, the Enron investigation, prescription drug schemes, illegal drugs, murders, rapes and of course child molesters.
J.P.McDonald/FBI: "And our ultimate goal is to make sure we do a very thorough investigation so the prosecution will go well and get the bad guys off the street."
Indeed, RCFL Philadelphia will be a cybercrime task force which will include a number of local law enforcement agencies including Philadelphia police. With a few openings remaining, the FBI is inviting other local law enforcement agencies to join the effort.
McDonald: "We will train 'em, we will give them the expertise, the training, the equipment to do the exam."
So again, a few openings left on the task force for law enforcement agencies wanting to join in. If you're interested, contact Philadelphia FBI. The new forensics laboratory opens July 6th.
(Copyright 2006 by Action News. All Rights Reserved.)
[Original Article on the WPVI web site ]