The law enforcement agency is to reorganise, and put the fight against cybercrime high on its agenda.
The director of the FBI announced on Wednesday that a major reorganisation of the agency would include a new focus on cybercrime and technology. Just as the EU is debating cracking down on online civil liberties. (See earlier post by UKer)
Protecting the United States against "cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes" is one of the FBI"s top 10 priorities, Director Robert Mueller said at a news conference detailing a major reorganisation of the agency.
Preventing high-tech crime "is a protection of our infrastructure," he said. Cyberterrorism and cybercrime can happen anywhere, and "you need the overarching responsibility in an agency such as the FBI."
The cybercrime focus is part of a major reorganisation that will also add new agents and put more resources toward preventing terrorism.
The FBI recently announced new "Cyber Division" to coordinate the agency"s technology-related efforts. The division is being charged with supervising investigations of federal violations where the Internet, computer systems and networks "are exploited as the principal instruments or targets of criminal activity," the FBI has said.