In a speech yesterday at the Cybercrime 2020 Symposium--the DOJ Criminal Division’s inaugural symposium on cybercrime--Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell announced that the DOJ is creating a dedicated Cybersecurity Unit within the Criminal Division. 

Noting that cybercrime continues to increase in both volume, sophistication and scale, Caldwell stated that the Criminal Division was "re-orienting itself" to make sure that cybersecurity receives the dedicated attention it requires. The new Cybersecurity Unit will be part of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, she stated, and prosecutors in the unit will serve as a "central hub for expert advice and legal guidance regarding the criminal electronic surveillance statutes for both U.S. and international law enforcement conducting complex cyber investigations...."

Among other things, Caldwell stated, Cybersecurity Unit prosecutors will helping to shape and interpret cybersecurity legislation.  She offered the example of recent concerns by communications service providers over whether the Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits sharing certain cyber threat information. In response, the DOJ produced a public white paper analyzing the issue and address these concerns. "We will continue to engage in this open dialogue about emerging issues and to clear roadblocks like this one," Caldwell stated.

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