WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Friday, August 29, United States Secret Service Director Ralph Basham issued the following statement on the arrest in the "Blaster" computer virus investigation:
"The Secret Service's participation in this investigation -- with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Microsoft -- is about sharing information and resources in an effort to enhance our strengths and minimize our weakness against those that would do us harm.
As shown with our participation in today's arrest, the Secret Service -- as a key investigative agency within the Department of Homeland Security -- is prepared to protect not only the leaders of this nation, but to investigate attacks on the critical infrastructures that are so vital to this nation. The Secret Service prides itself on its unique ability to partner with the private sector, academia and other law enforcement agencies to investigate high-tech crimes committed against private industry, the public and the government.
We are not only concerned with apprehending those individuals that commit computer crimes, but in assisting private companies in limiting the damage done by these criminals to private industry and the public. On behalf of the Secret Service, I want to commend the hard work of those individuals and agencies involved in this investigation. Our success in this investigation is a very good example of how, by working together, the public and private sectors can combine their resources effectively to combat computer-based crimes."