Spyware Dragnet

Spyware isn't just for criminals out to steal personal data. The FBI recently used spyware it calls CIPAV, for Computer and Internet Provider Address Verifier, to catch a 10th grader who was emailing bomb threats to his high school in Olympia, Wash., CNET reported this week. "School officials said seven bomb threats were received by e-mail between June 4th and June 13th, resulting in evacuations almost daily, restrictions on student movement and police patrols on campus," according to seattlepi.com. A judge sentenced the student to 90 days in juvenile detention. The FBI has been working on numerous computer programs to help it investigate computer-related crimes.