What is the FBI’s Going Dark Project?

Law enforcement agencies are working on various projects to make our internet a lot safer. Unfortunately, some of those projects also make it harder to do the things we have gotten used to over the past few years. Going Dark is a project by the FBI which revolves around intercepting communications and information. It is quite an advanced system, which may soon be expanded to include a strong focus on virtual currencies.

The past few years have not been easy for law enforcement agencies all over the world. Online communication is encrypted most of the time, with service providers slowly integrating end-to-end encryption whenever possible. This makes it more difficult for institutions such as the FBI to intercept communications and specific information related to court orders. It is evident the government body would look for ways to alleviate these concerns.

More specifically, the Going Dark project was introduced quite some time ago. Even though the FBI is a strong supporter of encryption, they acknowledge new tools need to be created to access the information they need. Fighting cybercrime through traditional means is not always possible. Finding new solutions is of the utmost importance, and it appears Going Dark is the right way forward for the FBI.

Interestingly enough, the project page officially acknowledges obtaining valuable information in a lawful manner is getting worse. That is not entirely surprising, to say the least. The number of communication service providers is increasing exponentially, and a lot of companies are not required to introduce lawful intercept capabilities. This means law enforcement agencies can’t legally access any of the communications passing through these protocols, unless they get a warrant to do so.

Under the Going Dark banner, the FBI continues to identify individuals looking to commit nefarious acts, both online and in the real world. Even though these criminals aren’t only using encryption to mask communication, it remains a key problem for law enforcement agencies. It is evident this project will aim to let the FBI do its job properly, although the question is whether or not if the ends justify the means. It is unclear what type of technology the law enforcement agency is using to get the desired results at this time.

Rest assured projects such as Going Dark are also a part of pushing encryption backdoor as part of the political agenda. Weakening encryption would give law enforcement agencies an unlimited access to consumer communication data at any given time. That is not something users should look forward to, as it is a clear breach of privacy. Then again, there is a certain trade-off between privacy and protecting the greater good. It has yet to be established which lines can’t be crossed, that much is evident.

It also appears the FBI’s Going Dark project may soon be expanded upon. The law enforcement agency has requested several billions of dollars in funding to focus on other threats facilitating cybercrime. As one would come to expect, virtual currencies are rather high on this new agenda. It is unclear what we can expect exactly, and whether or not the budget request will be approved. Bitcoin and cryptocurrency have always been a thorn in the side of the FBI.