Law Enforcement

Scammers Are Using Fake Job Ads to Steal People’s Identities

The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it has seen a “marked increase” in sham job ads seeking to steal people’s personal data, often with the aim of filing bogus unemployment insurance claims.

  • By Cezary Podkul, ProPublica

DHS Wants Wearables to Track Employee Health at Work and at Home

The biometric tech will be used to help employees manage physical and mental health in high-stress mission areas.

  • By Aaron Boyd

IRS’ Criminal Investigators Want Help Breaking into Physical Crypto Wallets

The agency’s digital forensics unit is looking for a small business to help make routine processes out of some nascent research into related hardware hacking techniques.

  • By Mariam Baksh

Postal Service Law Enforcement Isn’t Fully Tracking Inspectors’ Use of Cryptocurrencies

Investigators reported using cryptocurrencies in nine closed cases. Auditors found another 1,064 that might not have been properly recorded.

  • By Aaron Boyd

DOJ Seeks Congressional Funding to Implement Policy on Body-Worn Cameras

The announcement follows tensions with some local police departments over the authority to release footage recorded during joint operations.

  • By Mariam Baksh

LGBTQ+ People of Color Face Greatest Risk from Spike in Hate Crimes. Why Doesn't FBI Data Include Them?

Across the nation, more hate crimes were reported in 2020 than in any year since 2008. Advocates say federal data is missing crucial context that keeps resources from those at the greatest risk.

  • By Orion Rummler, The 19th

Facial Recognition Tech Use Increasing Among Federal Agencies

Use cases included criminal investigations, building security and access to digital assets like smartphones and security agency websites.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Drug Enforcement Feds Want Augmented Reality to Monitor U.S./Mexico Border

The agency is already putting some capabilities to use.

  • By Brandi Vincent

What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology

A ban in Baltimore would restrict the city from purchasing facial recognition technology and temporarily restrict use by city agencies, residents and businesses (but not the police).

  • By Andrea Noble

DHS Tech Directorate Sets Goals to Guide Risk-Aware Artificial Intelligence Use

It’s meant to complement the department’s broader enterprise strategy and could prove helpful to other agencies.

  • By Brandi Vincent

DHS Considers Virtual Reality to Teach Officers About Responding to Hazardous Scenarios

The agency is looking for technology solutions to help train Federal Protective Service staff when to use force—and when not to.

  • By Brandi Vincent

DOJ to Help Rural and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies Buy Body-Worn Cameras

The competitive grants program will also help agencies with fewer than 50 personnel.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Watchdog: 10 Government Agencies Deployed Clearview AI Facial Recognition Tech

A Government Accountability Office report details how agencies used different versions of the biometric technology during the pandemic and protests.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Body Cameras Help Monitor Police but Can Invade People's Privacy

Records laws allow many videos to end up on YouTube but few address how to deal with the personal information of those filmed.

  • By Bryce C. Newell, The Conversation
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Here’s How Much Your Personal Information Is Worth to Cybercriminals – and What They Do with It

Though data breaches can be a national security threat, 86% are about money, and 55% are committed by organized criminal groups, according to Verizon’s annual data breach report.

  • By Ravi Sen, The Conversation

Online, Mug Shots Are Forever. Some States Want to Change That.

People are innocent until proven guilty, but the public release of mug shots taken at the time of arrest can become a barrier to housing, employment and personal relationships.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

Secret Service Director Calls for More Staffing, Retention and Cybersecurity Funding 

The director thanked employees for their hard work and resilience over the past year. 

  • By Courtney Bublé

Bill Would Force Intelligence, Law Enforcement to Obtain Warrants Before Buying Americans’ Data

As with other tech companies, agencies would have to obtain court orders to compel data brokers to turn over information.

  • By Frank Konkel

Democrats Question Justice Department on Use of Predictive Policing Algorithms

They also called for more comprehensive checks on the use of such technologies.

  • By Brandi Vincent

FBI Opens a Case on Chinese Activity ‘Every 10 Hours,’ Intel Chiefs Say

China leads a pack of threats to the United States, they tell lawmakers.

  • By Patrick Tucker

Justice Department Warns of Fake Unemployment Benefit Websites

It’s one more issue for jobless Americans and state workforce agencies to be concerned about.

  • By Brent Woodie