http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_536921.html By Jill King Greenwood TRIBUNE-REVIEW November 8, 2007 Pittsburgh has a unique crime-fighter, FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday. In a large building in South Oakland, FBI agents work alongside forensic computer analysts, postal inspectors and the Department of Homeland Security. They investigate and try to prevent cyber-terrorism before Internet threats can affect the economy or infrastructure. Mueller said the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance on Second Avenue involves partnerships with numerous organizations, the private sector and academia including Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University. He was in Pittsburgh to tour Carnegie Mellon and talk about the threat of cyber-terrorism, which he said can range from a hacker preventing baseball fans from buying tickets online to al-Qaida using the Internet to communicate with new members. "Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon in particular, have been on the cutting edge of technology and computer science capabilities for years," Mueller said. "Pittsburgh has developed a reputation for having the experts that can work alongside law enforcement to investigate these crimes and identify the attackers. Pittsburgh is the envy of those around the world." The alliance houses nearly 70 computer forensics investigators, mostly students and researchers, said its CEO, Ronald E. Plesco Jr. Investigators receive data and cooperation from more than 600 companies, as well as colleges and universities and law enforcement agencies worldwide, to investigate online bank fraud, extortion attempts and other cyber crimes, Plesco said. Current investigations include fraudulent Web sites seeking donations for victims of the wildfires in California and the Virginia Tech shooting massacre. Next month, six additional postal inspectors will be added to the team, said Aaron E. Kornblum, senior attorney for alliance partner Microsoft. Countries including England, Australia and Canada are looking to model their cyber-terrorism investigations after Pittsburgh, Kornblum said. Mueller said Internet crimes will continue to rise and pose threats worldwide, but America is more secure than before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. During a cyber crime conference in State College on Tuesday, Mueller described as "misguided" a recent court decision that would prevent the government from obtaining records from Internet providers without a judge's approval. __________________________________________________________________ CSI 2007 is the only conference that delivers a business-focused overview of enterprise security. It will convene 1,500+ delegates, 80 exhibitors and features 100+ sessions/seminars providing a roadmap for integrating policies and procedures with new tools and techniques. Register now for savings on conference fees and/or free exhibits admission. - www.csiannual.com
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