| By Bob Weaver
State newspapers are reporting about a new WV State Police web site
that is suppose to make reporting criminal behavior easier for the public.
The stories contain a link to their new site, with computer programming specialists telling the Hur Herald today the site is not secure.
(We are not giving the link)
State Police are asking WV citizens to use the site as an anonymous way to report criminal activity.
When clicking on the site a screen comes up that looks and acts legitimate, advising the user they need protection from a pending virus.
If the user activates the site or the so-called protection, it allows Virus 2009, a well-known rogue virus to infect the users computers.
While the site is registered to the WV State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, "The site is not a good place for a government site at all," said a computer tech, who went into the site to check its status.
"Of course there is no such thing as anonymous," said the tech, "in addition to security of the site having already been hijacked."
"It's definitely not secure," he concluded, "It appears to have been developed by someone with little skill."
The public is being asked to submit anonymous tips or a full-blown crime report, said State Police Sgt. Christopher Casto, indicating the site will be in actual operation soon.
State Police officials say the site will cut down on phone calls and will allow people to make complaints without talking directly to a trooper, Casto said.
"We're hoping that people will be more comfortable reporting crimes if they can do it anonymously through their computer," he said.
The site was developed with the West Virginia Cyber Crime Cooperative, which has West Virginia University students create projects as part of their engineering classes, according to Charleston newspapers.
The news release said the new site is not to diminish other methods of notifying the State Police, like direct phone calls or through 911.
The WV State Police has often been in conflict with 911 Centers around the state, and a few years ago introduced a bill in the WV Legislature to take-over all the 911 operations in every county. The measure failed.
They are now saying, while they will manage the web site, they will likely forward complaints to other police agencies in the state.
The agency said the site will not focus on critical calls, the site's program does have the capacity to pick up key words that will activate higher attention and a more immediate response.
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