US Attorney General wants to get tough on hackers

US Attorney General Janet Reno testified this week that computer attacks on the Internet has become one of the fastest-growing areas of crime as rapidly changing and advancing technology makes it nearly impossible for law enforcement to keep up. As a result, a new high-growth industry of companies offering online security products and services is quickly emerging.

Reno testified before a Senate subcommittee on Internet security. "How we deal with cyber-crime is one of the most critical areas we face," said Reno, who wants the government to devise a five-year plan to deal with the issue. Standardization of computer equipment is key in fighting computer crime, she said.

"We need a means of ensuring uniform standards in respect to equipment and technology. It is becoming obsolete practically before we get it installed and the costs can be astronomical." Reno also advocated tougher penalties on cyber attackers to deter them from causing havoc on the Internet. Such activities should be prosecuted under federal racketeering statutes, she told the Senators. So far, the FBI has not been able to catch any of the hackers responsible for last week’s major attacks on half a dozen of the most popular Internet sites. FBI Director Louis Freeh, however, said he was pleased with progress made in the investigation so far.

"There are fast-developing leads as we speak," she said. As an illustration how fast cyber "intrusion" crimes are spreading, Freeh said his agency’s case load doubled from 547 cases in 1998 to 1,154 in 1999. "In short, even though we have markedly improved our capabilities to fight cyber intrusions the problem is growing even faster and we are falling further behind," Freeh said.

And the hackers are using ever more sophisticated technologies to break in and disguise themselves. The hackers in last week’s attacks were able to falsify their digital fingerprints so as not to be identifiable.

The series of attack are continuing as more hackers appear turned on by the huge publicity of the recent attacks. Just hours after industry leaders told President Clinton that the government must do more to protect its own computers from attacks, hackers clearly tried to underscore the point by vandalized at least four Web sites at the U.S. Transportation Department, including the page for the agency's information officer, George Molaski.''