WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein today introduced legislation to support computer forensics training opportunities for state and local law enforcement agencies. The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 authorizes for the first time the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), which provides law enforcement with techniques and best practices for handling digital forensics evidence.
 
“New technology has helped us to be better connected, more organized and even more expressive.  But it can also prove helpful in solving crimes.  Just as law enforcement has long used techniques, like fingerprinting, to identify clues to crack a case, digital forensics is becoming more critical to uncovering evidence that can help solve crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.  By authorizing this training center, this legislation helps to equip law enforcement from agencies across the country, including in Iowa, with the tools and training to dust for ‘digital fingerprints’ and utilize computer forensics to gather evidence and solve cases,” Grassley said.
 
“More than 200 law enforcement officers from California have visited the National Computer Forensics Institute for training on how to appropriately handle digital forensic evidence. Digital technology is used to commit a wide range of crimes, from hacking to human trafficking, and the need for specialized training in this area will only grow. The institute will bolster our efforts to combat cybercrime,” Feinstein said.
 
The NCFI has trained law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges from more than 2,000 state and local agencies across the United States, including nearly 30 in Iowa.
 
The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 is also cosponsored by senators Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Luther Strange (R-Ala.). Congressman John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) recently introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. 
 
Text of the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 is available HERE.
 
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