Computer Security Experts Say U.S. Law Enforcement Cripples Their Work

Experts in the computer security industry say that heavy-handed application of the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is targeting professionals who hack as part of their research into system vulnerabilities, and that wanton, misguided enforcement is keeping people from doing the kind of research that is essential to understand threats and vulnerabilities. One industry CEO, Jeremiah Grossman of cyber research firm Whitehat Security, says that by not taking into account intent, what enforcers are doing amounts to killing the canaries in the coal mine.