Take Your Time On Emails, But Respond To Text Messages Quickly!

FBI Is Still Figuring Out This Email Thing

from the so-what's-that-SMTP-thing? dept

Tue, Mar 21st 2006 3:34am — Mike Masnick

Okay, by this point, it should be no surprise at all that the FBI is somewhat incompetent when it comes to technology. Considering their ongoing saga of throwing millions of dollars at computer systems that arrive late, over-budget, and don't actually do anything useful, is it really any surprise that the FBI is now admitting that many agents don't actually have email accounts yet? That, of course, is for external email accounts -- not their internal system. Of course, this isn't the first time that the FBI's email system has been in the news -- though, apparently, it's too much effort for most of the press covering this story to look back into the past. About a year ago, there were news reports that the FBI was shutting down their email system, because they were afraid of hacks -- similar to the one that the Secret Service faced. What was interesting there, was that the FBI's email system was apparently run by an outside party. It's not clear what's happened in between now and then -- and if the agents lacking email used to have accounts that were ditched last year or if this is an ongoing issue. Either way, is it really that hard to set everyone up with an email account? If the fear is having the system hacked, then set up policies. Since they already have internal email within the FBI, then clearly such a system should only be used for non-confidential information.

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37 Comments

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Wiley, 21 Mar 2006 @ 3:49am

Us the Carnivore System
Why don't they use their carnivore System....DOH! That isn't working properly either.
Hmmmm...
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?, 21 Mar 2006 @ 3:52am

email shemail
"is it really that hard to set everyone up with an email account?"

humph! I'd like to see you setup an email account!
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Mont, 21 Mar 2006 @ 3:59am

Free Email
Google's security and Privacy policy is probably better than anything the government can come up with. They gave me 100 free accounts for my domain, I'm sure they could help the FBI.
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rude error, 21 Mar 2006 @ 4:05am

Fbi's google mail
i'd like to se the FBI get an gmail, something like "pleasedonthackuss@gmail.com"
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Brandy, 21 Mar 2006 @ 4:08am

The FBI is a pretty time-consuming job. How much of a life does a person have outside of it? Chances are not that much of a life. For many people e-mail accounts for private use probably aren't necessary.
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Devang (profile), 21 Mar 2006 @ 5:13am

spam
I thought getting spammed, phished, and spywared is what most e-mail users and providers worried about now a days... Weren't the last serious e-mail server software hacks like 10 years ago? Setting up and adhereing to good e-mail policies should be 2nd nature to anyone who's used e-mail. Is the FBI really that far behind?
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Matt, 21 Mar 2006 @ 5:34am

lol
Im sure they could come up with a solution, like, not having those machines accessible via web (if all they do is use fbi emal for work)
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Skeptic, 21 Mar 2006 @ 5:34am

Email
Working for a government agency I can shead some light on the mentality that brings about this situation: THE INTERNET IS EVIL, ONLY BAD CAN COME FROM THE INTERNET. HACKERS HAVE ALL THE KEYS TO OUR DOORS IF WE OPEN THE BLAST CURTIAN.

The FBI might be paranoid, but isnt it every little hacker and hackeret's dream to "hack the FBI" even if it is aslame as an external mail server to email out thousands of prank emails to all their friends from the FBI.gov domain? Who wants the hassle if it isnt truly necessary?
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Shred, 21 Mar 2006 @ 5:57am

Cover your tracks
This isn't about security. This is about how hard it is to cover your tracks once it's been said in an email. It's diffuclt to purge an email that may have been sent out and in turn forwarded to a couple dozen people. I think the reluctancy to use email here isn't about security.
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Brad L., 21 Mar 2006 @ 6:09am

LEO.gov
Odd that the Bureau can provide secure email access to officers, deputies, and agents through their leo.gov site but fail to use the same program in-house. Considering that individual agents didn't have computers until the mid-90's I guess it's a bit less puzzling.
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Salamander, 21 Mar 2006 @ 6:58am

thats hilarious
thats funny
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Jeremiah, 21 Mar 2006 @ 7:03am

The FBI is incompetent.
That's right, the FBI is a bunch of bumbling, incompetent fools without email accounts and web access....

...there is no such thing as DCSxxxx, and they absolutely cannot tap any of your internet traffic at peering points, or playback your web surfing like a VCR.

Nope, can't do any of that.
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Tyshaun, 21 Mar 2006 @ 7:18am

Re: Free Email

Google's security and Privacy policy is probably better than anything the government can come up with. They gave me 100 free accounts for my domain, I'm sure they could help the FBI.

Great, so now all of the FBI e-mails can be scanned by gmail for ads and placed on their servers? No thanks, as much as I like google I don't trust them to handle potentially classified information. I think the FBI has more than enough capable people that could get a reasonable system running. Working for a government contractor I can take a guess that the problem is beurocratic(sp?) apprehension rather than lack of technical savvy.
Readers of this forum must remember that a lot of people on planet earth still aren't convinced that the network is inherently a good thing and aren't clamoring at the doors to wire up all of their employees completely. In fact, for some things, perhaps it's better to have a culture that embraces slow acceptance.
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Mont, 21 Mar 2006 @ 7:43am

Gmail idea
I am sorry I forgot to use my tag.
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Lee, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:03am

FBI has no e-mail
Hey, to help save tax payer money and to help the FBI with running their IT department, why doesn't the FBI require their employees to set up yahoo account. You could have JOESCHMOESECRETAGENTMAN@yahoo.com.
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Mr. Lucas Brice, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:05am

No Surprise
Humans, on the whole, are stupid. Since the FBI is comprised of humans, there's no reason to expect that they would be anything other than stupid. What's the surprise?
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Nick, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:07am

i would spam the FBI
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Dixon of Dock Green, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:08am

Re: Re: Free Email
I think the gmail comment just might have been a gag.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:11am

Re: Cover your tracks
TERRIBLE GAMMER
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Proxax, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:18am

Cant Believe this!!!!
FBI is all Hyped about being the best n great in trackin ppl and doing sting op's and they dont have a good email system!!!Phhhbttt.......Sheesh Hide behind the curtain.....the guy who runs IT in there and IT Training especially. Great with Guns and Bad with Keyboards Huhn..
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Jared, 21 Mar 2006 @ 8:57am

God I love this country!
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secret agent man, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:01am

FBI
DUH !!! More anti government crap. Why should the FBI have its agents identified as such by having an E mail ID under .gov etc. Wouldnt it make more sense for each agent to have his own (incognito) account.??? using whatever IP he/she chooses.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:02am

Who gives a shit if FBI agents don't have personal email accounts? Why is this news?
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hmm, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:05am

Re: Fbi's google mail
hahahahha
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Haywood, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:06am

CTU
Perhaps they should find out who CTU got their compuers from, theirs are smokin
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Sparky, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:21am

Re: CTU
Mr. Jablowmi,

CTU no longer exists, it is being assimilated into Homeland Security. Gosh, don't you know anything?
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Haywood, 21 Mar 2006 @ 9:28am

Re: Re: CTU
If you believe that you don't know jack!
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Devin Michael, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:19am

Why are external addresses necessary
First off, why is the need for external email addresses so great. Secondly, the FBI could create policies that the external email addresses are for non-confidential information but why even open that floodgate? We have policies at the agency I work for and no one follows them.
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Steven, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:27am

FBI agents and computers
One of the factors may be the kind of people who become FBI agents. Lots of them are trained as lawyers, who are notoriously non-technical, non-computer types.
My "significant other" is a former (she terms it "recovering", lol) lawyer who, she says, is a rarity: a computer savvy lawyer. She now runs another legal website, and is the content mananger, since the techhies running the site had their own blind side; the content on the site was formerly of marginal use for lawyers and people seeking legal help.
Apparently, most lawyers, and apprently, by extension- FBI agents, make limited use of computers- simple e-mail, looking up case law online, etc.
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Sparky, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:30am

Re: Re: Re: CTU
Hahaha...I love subtle humor!
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:38am

Re: FBI agents and computers
i find it hard to believe that the majority of agents are lawyers
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art_vandalay, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:54am

Re: Re: FBI agents and computers
Maybe all the lawyers are agents?

and...

Everyone knows that CTU is comprimised on the inside. If it wasn't, Jack's day would be exponentially easier. They'd have to change the name of the show from "24" to "3".
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Mar 2006 @ 10:59am

Re: Re: Re: FBI agents and computers
"Maybe all the lawyers are agents?"

definate NO. ;) i divorced one after 8 years. theres no way he could be an agent. he was a great lawyer, but definately no agent. sucky husband but thats besides the point! hahaha
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SPaRky, 21 Mar 2006 @ 11:08am

CTU
Ahhh...compromised. Did Audrey sell the schematics? Hmmm...
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just me, 21 Mar 2006 @ 11:42am

Re:
I agree. Whyis this news? I think they can make their own decisions. Can't please everybody!
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Greg Keene, 21 Mar 2006 @ 4:18pm

Stunned
I'm so stunned, I decided to begin to calculate the actual cost.
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Greg Keene, 21 Mar 2006 @ 4:20pm

Oops....
Oops, that should have been linked here: http://gregkeene.typepad.com/keene/2006/03/fbi_sending_smo.html
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