FBI's dark web investigations hampered by inefficiencies, overlapping objectives of different units
... View MoreFBI's dark web investigations hampered by inefficiencies, overlapping objectives of different units
The FBI should establish a “formalized bureau-wide dark web strategy” to deal
with operational shortcomings in how it tackles illegal darknet
activities, a Department of Justice (DoJ) audit has recommended.
The DoJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that
the status quo – whereby FBI units associated with dark web investigations develop their
particular strategies in isolation – resulted in inefficiencies,
overlaps in remit, and misallocated resources. Following the audit (PDF),
the OIG has issued five recommendations that should clarify “investigative responsibilities among
operational units, result in more efficient and cost effective approaches to investigative tool development and acquisition, provide strategic continuity during periods
of turnover, and provide baseline data collection guidelines which will
enable the FBI to better report its dark web accomplishments.”
Investigative shortcomings
Highlighting the urgency of the proposals, the redacted report said that darknet marketplaces used to
offer and distribute malware, data breach records, drugs, firearms, and child sexual abuse material are “one of many greatest impediments to [the bureau's]
efforts to disrupt cybercriminal activities.
The OIG unearthed that operational units'siloed strategies had
“varying levels of comprehensiveness” and
some were not even documented, with the Hi-Tech Organized Crime Unit's strategy for pursuing opioid traffickers credited as “probably the most comprehensive.
The Hi-Tech Organized Crime Unit and Major Cyber Crimes
Unit, meanwhile, had “overlapping strategies” that can lead to “redundancies, inefficiencies,
or investigative assignments that are not properly
aligned with skillsets, capabilities, tools, and resources.
The OIG also noted that the Remote Operations Unit's efforts to produce and acquire investigative tools
had been hamstrung by budgetary cuts, and that the team had prioritized tools useful for
national security investigations, leaving operational units “without a mechanism” for pooling
technologies employed for dark web investigations.
Deconfliction
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Barry Call
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Lives in Wool Wool, Australia.
Born on April 17, 1989.
Is in a relationship.
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