In 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act mandated the Secret Service to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs), a network bringing together not only federal, state and local law enforcement, but also prosecutors, private industry and academia aimed at combating technology based crimes. The common purpose is the prevention, detection, mitigation and aggressive investigation of attacks on the nation's financial and critical infrastructures.
Effective March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the newly established Department of Homeland Security. In 2009, the Secret Service made nearly 2,866 criminal arrests for counterfeiting, cyber investigations and other financial crimes, 98% of which resulted in convictions, and removed more than $182 million in counterfeit U.S. currency from circulation.
Today, the Secret Service continues to protect our nation’s leaders, visiting world leaders and the integrity of the nation’s financial systems. With a rich tradition of service to the nation and its people, the agency continues to evolve, adding a variety of duties to our original charter.
(my emphasis)
Even before PATRIOT, the Secret Service was investigating crimes where there were questions of Social Security numbers being used for fraud and a wide variety of other issues beyond what you list. Your list is abbreviated and I have no idea where you got it but it's hearsay quality. Plugging in Secret Service investigatory powers into Google blew it to pieces in fifteen seconds.
Why fan the flames falsely? There's so much valid to do here. You are going to discredit good work.
I was Aaron's friend. I appeared on a panel on privacy with him at the MIT Museum on privacy. I was in the Berkman blog group with him. Various stuff. Before I knew him personally I knew him as this genius kid on email lists and such since he was a teenager.
I mourn him terribly. The day of his funeral I and some others were in front of the Boston Federal Courthouse holding vigil.
But there's no reason for this kind of poorly researched thing -- it does no good in the community in our out of hacktivism. Be rigorous and non-violent, if you want to honor what Aaron did, be impeccable.
I'd post the same on Empty Wheel, but they seem to have closed comments over there.
Le Sigh.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by shava23.
Perhaps a little better research is called for?
http://www.secretservice.gov/join/who_history.shtml
(my emphasis)
Even before PATRIOT, the Secret Service was investigating crimes where there were questions of Social Security numbers being used for fraud and a wide variety of other issues beyond what you list. Your list is abbreviated and I have no idea where you got it but it's hearsay quality. Plugging in Secret Service investigatory powers into Google blew it to pieces in fifteen seconds.
Why fan the flames falsely? There's so much valid to do here. You are going to discredit good work.
I was Aaron's friend. I appeared on a panel on privacy with him at the MIT Museum on privacy. I was in the Berkman blog group with him. Various stuff. Before I knew him personally I knew him as this genius kid on email lists and such since he was a teenager.
I mourn him terribly. The day of his funeral I and some others were in front of the Boston Federal Courthouse holding vigil.
But there's no reason for this kind of poorly researched thing -- it does no good in the community in our out of hacktivism. Be rigorous and non-violent, if you want to honor what Aaron did, be impeccable.
I'd post the same on Empty Wheel, but they seem to have closed comments over there.
Le Sigh.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by shava23.
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