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Computer Crime and |
Go to . . . CCIPS home page || Justice Department home pageWhat does CCIPS do?
The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (“CCIPS”) attorney staff consists of about two dozen lawyers who focus exclusively on the issues raised by computer and intellectual property crime. Section attorneys advise federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents; comment upon and propose legislation; coordinate international efforts to combat computer crime; litigate cases; and train all law enforcement groups. Other areas of expertise possessed by CCIPS attorneys include encryption, electronic privacy laws, search and seizure of computers, e-commerce, hacker investigations, and intellectual property crimes.A large part of CCIPS’ strength derives from the diverse skills and the wide variety of experiences its lawyers have had before joining the Section. Before joining CCIPS, its attorneys have been computer scientists, state and federal prosecutors, and associates and partners at law firms. A substantial number of CCIPS’ attorneys have received degrees in computer science, engineering, or other technical fields; about half came to CCIPS with prior government service. CCIPS began as the Computer Crime Unit of the former General Litigation and Legal Advice Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division in 1991. CCIPS became a Section of the Criminal Division in 1996.
As Attorney General Janet Reno noted in her testimony on "Cybercrime" before the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations on February 16, 2000:
"The cornerstone of our prosecutor cybercrime program is the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, known as CCIPS. CCIPS was founded in 1991 as the Computer Crime Unit, and was elevated into a Section in 1996. With the help of this Subcommittee, CCIPS has grown from five attorneys in January of 1996, to eighteen attorneys today. CCIPS works closely on computer crime cases with Assistant United States Attorneys known as "Computer and Telecommunications Coordinators" (CTCs) in U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country. Each CTC is given special training and equipment, and serves as the district’s expert in computer crime cases.
"The responsibility and accomplishments of CCIPS and the CTC program include:
Litigating Cases:
"CCIPS attorneys have litigating responsibilities, taking a lead role in some computer crime and intellectual property investigations, and a coordinating role in many national investigations, such as the denial of service investigation that is ongoing currently. As law enforcement matures into the Information Age, CCIPS is a central point of contact for investigators and prosecutors who confront investigative problems with emerging technologies. This year, CCIPS assisted with wiretaps over computer networks, as well as traps and traces that require agents to segregate Internet headers from the content of the packet. CCIPS has also coordinated an interagency working group consisting of all the federal law enforcement agencies, which developed guidance for law enforcement agents and prosecutors on the many problems of law, jurisdiction, and policy that arise in the online environment.
"Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey and the FBI, as well as with state prosecutors and investigators, CCIPS attorneys helped ensure that David Smith, the creator of the Melissa virus, pled guilty to a violation of the computer fraud statute and admitted to causing damages in excess of $80 million.
"CCIPS is also a key component in enforcing the "Economic Espionage Act," enacted in 1996 to deter and punish the theft of valuable trade secrets. CCIPS coordinates approval for all the charges under the theft of trade secret provision of this Act, and CCIPS attorneys successfully tried the first jury case ever under the Act, culminating in guilty verdicts against a company, its Chief Executive Officer, and another employee.
"The CTCs have been responsible for the prosecution of computer crimes across the country, including the prosecution of the notorious hacker, Kevin Mitnick, in Los Angeles, the prosecution of the hacker group "Global Hell" in Dallas, and the prosecution of White House web page hacker, Eric Burns, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Training
"CCIPS has spearheaded efforts to train local, state, and federal agents and prosecutors on the laws governing cybercrime, and last year alone gave over 200 presentations to a wide variety of audiences. In addition, CTCs across the country are training prosecutors and agents in their districts in a variety of fora.
"CCIPS also chairs the National Cybercrime Training Partnership (NCTP), a ground-breaking consortium of federal, state, and local entities dedicated to improving the technical competence of law enforcement in the information age. The NCTP has made great strides in creating a comprehensive prototype training curriculum for agents and prosecutors in a full range of infotech topics.
International
"The borderless nature of computer crime requires a large role for CCIPS in international negotiations. CCIPS chairs the G-8 Subgroup on High-tech Crime, which has established a 24 hours a day/7 days a week point of contact with 15 countries for mutual assistance in computer crime. CCIPS also plays a leadership role in the Council of Europe Experts' Committee on Cybercrime, and in a new cybercrime project at the Organization of American States.
Infrastructure Protection, Policy and Legislation
"CCIPS provided expert legal and technical instruction and advice for exercises and seminars to senior personnel on information warfare, infrastructure protection, and other topics for the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and others. Further, the Naval War College invited CCIPS to give a featured presentation at a high-level, invitation-only conference on cyberwarfare and international law. CCIPS also led the Department's efforts to counter cyberterrorism through its work on PDD-63, the Five-Year Counterterrorism Strategy, its support to the National Infrastructure Protection Center.
"CCIPS works on a number of policy issues raised at the intersection of law and technology. CCIPS attorneys meet regularly with a number of industry groups to discuss issues of common concerns, and helped establish the Cybercitizen Partnership in cooperation with high-tech industries to help identify industry expertise which may be needed in a complex investigation, to initiate personnel exchanges and to help safeguard our children.
"CCIPS attorneys propose and comment on legislation that affects their high-tech mission.
"Other Sections of the Criminal Division – including the Fraud Section, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and the Terrorism and Violent Crime Section – are responding as crimes within their areas of expertise move online."
The complete text of the Attorney General’s speech may be accessed via the link below: