ST. PAUL, Minnesota — They raid homes, tap people's phones and are generally considered the civil libertarian's bogyman.
But the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose surveillance technology is at the cutting edge, is barely online. Most agents working for the the American law-enforcement agency don't even have e-mail addresses and those who do got them in the past year.
It was only a few months ago, under a host of legal changes, that they were allowed to log on to a suspicious website.
In a technological and legal overhaul of the agency under new anti-terrorism laws and Attorney-General regulations, the FBI has finally caught up.
It's hard to believe, but until recently the agents portrayed in the movies as watching and listening to everyone could not surf the Web unless they had probable cause. If a call came in alerting the US crime-fighting agency to a suspicious site, agents were not legally allowed to check it unless an investigation related to the call was under way.
"I could not surf the Internet unless I had sufficient probable cause," agent Paul McCabe says. "I could be charged for it."
With the overhaul of all the US intelligence agencies and the reorganisation of the FBI since the September 11 terrorist attacks that law has changed.
McCabe, who works out of the Minnesota office that first took information about an alleged September 11 hijacker now facing court, was the former head of the state's cybercrime squad.
"I would love to have someone follow us along and see what kind of effort is involved in getting a wire or computer tap," he says. "They would be amazed. It's a nightmare."
Agents must go to a judge for authority to tap any device, which makes it hard to keep up with the speed of cybercrime.
Last year, millions were poured into the agency's technology under a program known as Trilogy, which began an overhaul of infrastructure and desktops, which is still under way. Most agents will have access to Microsoft XP by the end of the year.
But McCabe said even Trilogy met only a third of the agency's technology needs.
"Our computers were archaic. I was excited when we got Windows 95 and everyone else was on 2000.
"Every three years your computer becomes a paperweight on your desk. Cybercrime is growing at a drastic pace and it's always difficult to recruit the world's best computer scientists.
"It's a huge improvement on what we had, but it's never enough. It's a race. Every time we develop technology the bad guys jump ahead."
By Sue Cant (WPI '02)