Poll: Is this crossing the line?

rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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orginally posted by www.carrierhotels.com

If FBI agents showed up at your data center bearing a warrant, would you be able to provide them prompt access to customer data? How long would it take?


That's an important question in the wake of an FBI raid of Columbus, Ohio hosting company CIT Hosting last Saturday. Federal agents wound up shutting down the entire operation, seizing all the company's web servers and all customer data as part of its investigation of a hacking incident.


CIT Hosting, also known as FooNet, markets itself as "the leader in the IRC and DDoS protection business for the last 5 years." The company posted a web page informing customers that its data center was shut down, and instructing customers to contact the FBI if they needed access to their files.


The FBI executed a search warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio regarding the IRC network that we host," the company said in its statement.


IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a live chat system that allows users to create private discussion rooms. While IRC has a lengthy history of legitimate use, it is also a medium for discreet communication between hackers. CIT said the FBI was "investigating whether someone hosted on our network hacked and attacked someone else."


"After several hours of attempting to track down, inspect and audit the terabytes of data that we host, the FBI determined that it was more efficient (from their point of view) to remove all of our servers and transport them to the FBI local laboratories for inspection," the statement continued. "The FBI has assured us that as soon as the data has been safely copied and inspected, the equipment will be promptly returned. Unfortunately, the FBI has not been able to tell us when they will be completed with their inspection."


The seizure isn't standard procedure, and there's no way to know exactly what prompted it. CIT's account suggests the FBI may have lost patience with the process. The IRC-focused nature of CIT's business may also have been a factor.


But if you're a data center operator, you want to avoid any scenario in which the FBI gets impatient and starts hauling away your servers. Just one more item on the contingency planning checklist for the times in which we live.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
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Originally posted by: TheGameIs21
I voted no due to lack of information on the issue. Who was hacked, what was done etc...

what does it matter?

next they will be stopping people around town asking for their papers.
 

TheGameIs21

Golden Member
Apr 23, 2001
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I like how people are so willing to base their opinion on so little facts....



I still vote no.
 

rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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In a situation like this, if your current hardware and data are seized, can you legally use data backups along with backup hardware to get up and running again?
 

GroundZero

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 2002
3,669
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Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: TheGameIs21
I voted no due to lack of information on the issue. Who was hacked, what was done etc...

what does it matter?

next they will be stopping people around town asking for their papers.

well you better go knock over the local A.K.C. for some papers then Ameesh

:D
 

TommyVercetti

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2003
7,623
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Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: TheGameIs21
I voted no due to lack of information on the issue. Who was hacked, what was done etc...

what does it matter?

next they will be stopping people around town asking for their papers.

They can already ask for your ID.
 

pyonir

Lifer
Dec 18, 2001
40,856
311
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The FBI executed a search warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

A court approved the warrant. The FBI didn't cross the line, you should be arguing the court is crossing the line if anything.