It is widely known that the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Central Intelligence Agency utilize databases in aiding their criminal investigations. However, what is not such common knowledge is the information these databases hold, in the sense that Americans have only a limited perspective as to what information is being viewed, at this very moment, by an agent in one of these government organizations. The FBI and CIA do not disclose information about their databases to the general public; however, some widely known databases are listed below, along with descriptions of their functions.



One of the most frequently talked about databases are the anti-terrorist databases that the FBI hosts. These databases are, naturally, top-secret, and records are unknown. One such database is known as the TID (Terrorism Intelligence and Data) Database. It is used by the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, a organization that was formed by the post 9/11 drive for FBI and CIA communication and integration. Among the records this database stores are records of "hits" from wiretapping of phones in the U.S. These hits are derived based on whether or not the word mentioned in a conversation has been red-flagged as a sensitive word or not. A prime example of this would be the word "blackbriar" in the Bourne Trilogy. This word refers to a top-secret government agent training initiative, and every time "blackbriar" was mentioned during a phone conversation in the U.S., the call was recorded and played back to FBI officials, who then determined if the caller was a security threat or not. Now, in today's world, the word "blackbriar" may not be sensitive. In addition, the word "bomb" would probably receive so many hits that it would be impractical to track. However, the FBI and CIA databases have integrated software that allow two databases two be cross referenced, and if a certain criteria is met, the call is red-flagged. For example, if the FBI kept a database of terrorist suspects, and a call was made by one of these suspects in which he or she mentioned the word "bomb," the call would most likely be red-flagged. This type of relational database software allows the FBI and CIA to operate much more effectively.

Another database that is widely used, and widely known about are the FBI DNA databases. These databases contain information about the DNA of all previously arrested and convicted criminals in the U.S. However, a new, one-billion dollar project of the FBI's is to expand this database to include all people who have been arrested, regardless of whether they have been convicted or not. In other words, the database would include people who are legally innocent. The FBI DNA database currently houses 6.7 million profiles, but the previously mentioned new plans will accelerate the growth of the database from 80,000 profiles added a year, to 1.2 million a year in 2012.

Perhaps the most worrisome of the known FBI databases are the FBI biometric databases, which contain the biometric information of numerous U.S. citizens. The biometric information includes fingerprints, iris scans, and facial patterns. The frightening thing about this database however, is that it is the FBI's right to record any biometric information they wish of you, regardless of whether you are a criminal, or suspect, or even a law-abiding citizen.

The last, and most widely used, database listed is the National Crime Information Center Database, which is hosted by the FBI, but is accessible by any law enforcement agency in the U.S. It contains information of previously convicted criminals, suspects, and fugitives. It also contains limited biometric information (fingerprints).



There is much less common knowledge as to the contents of the undoubtedly existent CIA databases. However, the CIA has provided the general public with three major open databases:

The first, and perhaps most commonly used of these databases is the CIA Factbook. The CIA Factbook is a database that contains millions of records organized in a manner that categorizes the information types as follows: Geography, Demographics, History, Military, Communications, and People & Culture. This database is the go-to source for miscellaneous facts.

There are two CIA established databases that provide the user with access to declassified information. To declassified information is any information that was once restricted to secrecy, but is now open to the general public. for example, the Pentagon Papers. The two databases are CREST (CIA Records Search Tool), and more prominently, the FOIA Electronic Reading Room. FOIA stands for the Freedom of Information Act, which, according to the U.S Department of State, "generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information."(http://www.state.gov/m/a/ips/) The Electronic Reading Room was established with the purpose of providing "the public with an overview of access to CIA information, including electronic access to previously released documents."(www.cia.gov)

IT Components:

The FBI and CIA databases, when broken down, are composed of the same elements all databases are made of:

• Tables containing information about said subjects.(ex: Terrorists)
• Fields identifying information in records.(ex: Age, Name, Sex, Birthday, City of Residence)
• Records containing discrete chunks of information, according to the field.(ex: Male, Ramsey, 16, Arlington)

More specifically, however, the FBI and CIA databases utilize DBMS (Database Management Software) to organize, relate, and consolidate databases created by various government organizations. For example, the previously mentioned TID database is a consolidation of 66 other government anti-terrorist organizations. The government also uses security software to keep hackers from compromising the integrity of the databases. This software would include anti-virus protection, multiple firewalls, and backups of the databases, in case of an emergency.
In order for the end-users to actually use the databases, whether they are classified or not, the databases must support some kind of client-server technology, in which the end-user (the client) accesses information from the database located on the server. The client computer may be any computer that has accessed the database; in other words, it could be the computer you are viewing this information on right now, or a workstation located at the Pentagon.

Advantages

Advantages to the CIA and FBI databases are:

• Increased anti-criminal efficiency: CIA and FBI are better able to locate and arrest criminals based on their DNA, fingerprint, or other database related information.
• Increased national security: the government is better able to defend America through use of these databases.
• Provides information to general public...sometimes.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages to these databases are:

• Violation of privacy: citizens should have the right to choose what information is available about them.
• Localization of data: the databases provide a consolidated, centralized horde of information that, if breached, may lead to massive identity theft. The government may say that their system is impenetrable, but someday, some genius hacker is going to come along and figure out a way to beat their system.
• Availability of information: information is available about people who have done nothing to deserve having a "record." While their record may not be a criminal one, is the right to the benefit of the doubt valid?

Social and Ethical Issues

There are many concerns raised about the extent information goes to in the CIA and FBI databases. While it is understandable, and normal, to have information of previously convicted criminals, there are some people who believe that if they have done nothing to deserve a record, then they should not have one. However, on the opposing position, there is a viable argument that states that if the person does nothing to deserve the record, then they should not be worried. There is also, as always, the middle ground; the people who hold that it is acceptable for the databases to include basic information such as name, date of birth, and residence, but to have information such as DNA, facial patterns, and fingerprints is unacceptable.

The primary issues are summarized as follows:

• The privacy of the citizen
• The reliability of the government (whether the CIA and FBI employees are to be trusted or not)
• The integrity of the citizen's information
• The standards and policies of the government (how far are they willing to go along the path of individual privacy infringement.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/us/19DNA.html
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12177992
https//www.cia.gov
https//www.state.gov/m/a/ips/
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html