Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act

“822. National Computer Forensics Institute

“(a) In general—There is established in the Department a National Computer Forensics Institute (in this section referred to as the “Institute”), to be operated by the United States Secret Service, for the dissemination of homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime and related threats to educate, train, and equip State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.

“(b) Functions—The functions of the Institute shall include the following:

“(1) Educating State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on current—

“(A) cyber and electronic crimes and related threats;

“(B) methods for investigating cyber and electronic crime and related threats and conducting computer and mobile device forensic examinations; and

“(C) prosecutorial and judicial challenges related to cyber and electronic crime and related threats, and computer and mobile device forensic examinations.

“(2) Training State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers to—

“(A) conduct cyber and electronic crime and related threat investigations;

“(B) conduct computer and mobile device forensic examinations; and

“(C) respond to network intrusion incidents.

“(3) Training State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on methods to obtain, process, store, and admit digital evidence in court.

“(c) Principles—In carrying out the functions under subsection (b), the Institute shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that timely, actionable, and relevant expertise and homeland security information related to cyber and electronic crime and related threats is shared with State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.

“(d) Equipment—The Institute is authorized to provide State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges with computer equipment, hardware, software, manuals, and tools necessary to conduct cyber and electronic crime and related threats investigations and computer and mobile device forensic examinations.

“(e) Electronic crime task forces—The Institute shall facilitate the expansion of the Secret Service’s network of Electronic Crime Task Forces through the addition of task force officers of State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges educated and trained at the Institute, in addition to academia and private sector stakeholders.

“(f) Coordination with Federal Law Enforcement Training Center—The Institute shall seek opportunities to coordinate with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center within the Department to help enhance, to the extent practicable, the training provided by the Center to stakeholders, including by helping to ensure that such training reflects timely, actionable, and relevant expertise in homeland security information related to cyber and electronic crime and related threats.”