News Release - June 29, 2007

National Drug Intelligence Center Provides Unique Intelligence tool to aid the Department of Defense efforts in Iraq

The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) announced today that software they developed is supporting the Department of Defense's activities in Iraq. This software, designed and developed at the NDIC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, provides law enforcement and intelligence personnel a unique tool to more quickly and effectively exploit electronic media captured from insurgents and members of  Al Qaeda.

In May, NDIC received a request from the Multi-National Force-Iraq to provide copies of the software program dubbed HashKeeper, a software program designed to rapidly identify known files stored on a computer in order to reduce the number of files required to be examined during a forensic analysis of the computer. Colonel George Ishikata, Chief of the Multi-National Force-Iraq's Exploitation Group stated: "HashKeeper has assisted us in Multi-National Force-Iraq by significantly reducing media exploitation time. It's a program of choice for many of our Media Exploitation Technicians in theater, and has supported the prosecution of detainees and the identification of possible insurgents." The Center's analytical tools: the Real-time Analytical Intelligence Database (RAID) and HashKeeper (a program designed to cut computer exploitation time up to 60 percent) were developed in house and are among the best in the industry.

Coalition forces frequently capture electronic devices that may contain information of value for detainee retention or intelligence purposes. Captured electronic media includes computers, CD-ROMs, DVDs, portable drives and cameras--virtually any device that has electronic memory capacity. Quickly and efficiently analyzing captured electronic media supports detainee prosecutions in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq and may provide valuable information for use against Anti-Iraqi and Anti-Coalition Forces. HashKeeper helps Multi-National Force Iraq to respond quickly and take decisive action against these personnel.

NDIC has provided high quality products and services to the Nation for over a decade and is recognized throughout the federal law enforcement community as an outstanding collaborator within the law enforcement and intelligence communities advancing the investigation and prosecution of suspects engaged in illicit activity. NDIC personnel are trained to triage evidence and focus only on the most important information. HashKeeper and RAID have been used by NDIC to triage evidence for federal law enforcement to advance the investigation and prosecution of more than 600 investigations targeted against major illicit drug trafficking organizations as well as money laundering, terrorist, and other criminal organizations. Immediately following the events of September 11, NDIC analysts were requested to assist the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, utilizing these tools and received numerous accolades from FBI officials.

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