Statement of Section Chief Keith Lourdeau at a Microsoft Press Conference

Good morning. For almost a century, the men and women of the FBI have dedicated themselves to protecting the public by bringing criminals to justice. In keeping with this mission, the FBI has evolved and changed to meet the challenges presented by emerging technology. The FBI’s Cyber Division stands in the forefront of addressing these challenges as they pertain the use of computers for criminal purposes.

The FBI is grateful to Microsoft for the serious attention and priority given to finding those responsible for introducing the malicious codes that have severely impacted a large number of computer users worldwide.

Today, there are more than 70,000 known viruses, worms, or trojans, along with their respective variants, propagating in cyberspace. That count increases by approximately 200 to 250 each month.

The FBI recognizes the significance of these problems and continues to strengthen resources to meet the challenge. Today, in conjunction with our partnership with the Secret Service, along with other state and federal law enforcement agencies, the FBI conducts cyber crime investigations in more than 50 Task Force settings nationwide.

To date, subjects have been charged and arrested in connection with the release of three of the six Blaster variants. While this is a sign of progress, the FBI will continue its pursuit of the original authors of these worms.

As always, the FBI welcomes the public’s assistance in helping to successfully resolve these cases. Anyone with information is encouraged to call their local FBI or Secret Service office or to report the information online to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.ifccfbi.gov.

Thank you.