US DOJ announces creation of a Cybersecurity Unit

The US Department of Justice has announced the creation of a new unit within its Criminal Division: the Cybersecurity Unit.

“The Cybersecurity Unit will have responsibility on behalf of the Criminal Division for a variety of efforts we are undertaking to enhance public and private cyber security efforts,” Leslie R. Caldwell, Assistant Attorney General of the United States and head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division has announced on Thursday in a speech at the Cybercrime 2020 Symposium.

“Prosecutors from the Cybersecurity Unit will provide a central hub for expert advice and legal guidance regarding the criminal electronic surveillance statutes for both US and international law enforcement conducting complex cyber investigations to ensure that the powerful law enforcement tools are effectively used to bring the perpetrators to justice while also protecting the privacy of every day Americans,” she explained.

“The Cybersecurity Unit will work hand-in-hand with law enforcement and will also work with private sector partners and Congress. This new unit will strive to ensure that the advancing cyber security legislation is shaped to most effectively protect our nation’s computer networks and individual victims from cyber attacks.”

Prosecutors from the Cybersecurity Unit are going to foster cooperation between the unit and the private sector, as well as raise the general public’s consciousness about cyber security issues, and attempt to do away with the growing public distrust of law enforcement surveillance and high-tech investigative techniques in the wake of Snowden’s revelations.