[1888] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: BXA denies my administrative appeal
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Phil Karn)
Tue Nov 25 01:38:16 1997
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:34:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
To: smith@securecomputing.com
CC: cryptography@c2.net
In-reply-to: <v03007800b09f865249e2@[172.17.1.150]> (message from Rick Smith
on Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:05:25 -0600)
>crypto policy. Their comments indicated that the FBI et al are dominating
>internal meetings on the subject with the same polarizing rhetoric they're
>using in Congress. One official said that he was accused of intentionally
>aiding terrorists at one of these meetings.
This comes as no surprise at all. Having been peripherally involved in
responding to several computer intrusion cases, I quickly realized
that the FBI -- thanks to its own insufferable arrogance -- is its own
worst enemy. They go out of their way to alienate the very same people
(victims of computer break-ins, the computer industry generally) who
could most help them do their jobs.
My (admittedly limited) experiences also confirmed that if you give
the FBI a choice between quietly protecting a victim and making an
arrest they can publicize, they invariably choose the
latter. *Nothing* is more important than getting that trophy on the
wall.
Phil
