Yale Bulletin and Calendar

March 19, 2004|Volume 32, Number 22

'Digital Cops in a Virtual Environment'
will explore the problem of cyber-crime

The Law School's Information Society Project will host "Digital Cops in a Virtual Environment," a conference on cyber-crime and digital law enforcement, on Friday-Sunday, March 26-28.

The conference will address the problem of cyber-crime and the controversial issues of privacy and security associated with it. Policymakers, security experts, legal practitioners and members of law enforcement will discuss how recent technological changes are facilitating new crimes and debate the proper responses by law enforcement. Six panels will examine timely issues, bringing together representatives of the high-tech industry leaders such as Microsoft and Verisign, academics, civil libertarians and activists. More than 150 participants are expected to attend.

During the three-day conference, panelists will move from a broad analysis of overall vulnerabilities in networked environments to a focused examination of specific crimes such as identity theft and law enforcement measures such as sophisticated surveillance mechanisms. The panels will address the topic of terrorism as well as the challenges law enforcement faces -- from computer viruses to pornography. In addition, panels will examine how the online environment affects the legal process, including prosecution, evidence and punishment. Finally, the conference will conclude with a panel on "hacktivism" -- a form of social resistance that has arisen on the Internet.

Keynote speaker Dan Geer will deliver an opening address on March 26 at 6:15 p.m. Geer is a leader in the field of network security for the financial industry and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions. He was one of the first to address security vulnerabilities that arise in markets dominated by monopolistic entities.

The other keynote speaker, John Podesta, will present his talk on March 27 at 7:30 p.m. Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, is an expert on privacy and security policy. He is president and chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., and a visiting professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center.

The Information Society Project is an intellectual center for the study of the implications on law and society of the Internet, telecommunications and new information technologies.

The "Digital Cops in a Virtual Environment" conference will take place at the Law School, 127 Wall St. Registration is free for Law School students, faculty and affiliates as well as the media. Online registration for all others is $50. More information, including a complete conference agenda, is available at www.law.yale.edu/isp.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Yale scientist on team that discovered new planetoid

Robert Blocker has been reappointed to third term . . .

Center to foster research on cerebral cortex

Bulldogs' Nate Lawrie busy preparing himself for NFL Draft

Political scientist Ian Shapiro named YCIAS director

Zbigniew Brzezinski . . . to present talk on campus

Magic, comic mayhem prevail in re-telling of old tale

'Digital Cops in a Virtual Environment' will explore . . .

Conference to consider 'The Future of Secularism'

Exhibit features works by artist who combined fact and fantasy . . .

NIDA director discusses complicated causes . . . of drug addiction

Castle Lectures to explore materialism in today's culture

English faculty to present staged reading of 'Pentecost'

'Enclave' to explore architectural aspects of ports of commerce

In Focus: Office of Cooperative Research