Treasury Enforcement Agent Exam Technology & Digital Applications 3 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: An agent needs to obtain real-time location data from a suspect's cell phone. Which legal authority is typically required?
- A subpoena to the suspect directly
- A warrant supported by probable cause following Carpenter v. United States (Correct answer)
- An administrative summons from the agency head
- No legal processācarriers must cooperate with law enforcement on request
Correct answer: A warrant supported by probable cause following Carpenter v. United States
The Supreme Court's Carpenter v. United States (2018) ruling requires a warrant to obtain historical or real-time cell-site location information.
Question 2: Which type of malware specifically encrypts a victim's files and demands payment, often in cryptocurrency, for the decryption key?
- Spyware
- Ransomware (Correct answer)
- Adware
- Rootkit
Correct answer: Ransomware
Ransomware encrypts victim data and extorts payment, typically in cryptocurrency to complicate law enforcement tracing.
Question 3: When analyzing dark web markets in a financial crimes investigation, what tool do investigators typically use to access .onion sites?
- Google Chrome with an incognito window
- The Tor Browser, which routes traffic through anonymizing relays (Correct answer)
- A standard VPN subscription service
- Internet Explorer with enhanced security settings
Correct answer: The Tor Browser, which routes traffic through anonymizing relays
The Tor Browser is required to access .onion addresses on the dark web, as it routes connections through multiple encrypted relays.
Question 4: A Treasury agent seizes digital evidence from a cloud storage account. Which principle ensures the evidence will be admissible and defensible in court?
- Speed of collection over documentation
- Maintaining a documented chain of custody from collection through presentation (Correct answer)
- Allowing the suspect's attorney to oversee the collection
- Storing the evidence on a personal laptop for convenience
Correct answer: Maintaining a documented chain of custody from collection through presentation
Chain of custody documentation tracks who handled evidence, when, and how, which is essential for admissibility and defending against challenges.
Question 5: In cryptocurrency investigations, what is a 'mixer' or 'tumbler' and why is it significant?
- A hardware wallet used to store crypto securely
- A service that blends multiple users' cryptocurrency to obscure transaction trails (Correct answer)
- A government-approved exchange for converting crypto to fiat currency
- Software that speeds up blockchain transaction confirmations
Correct answer: A service that blends multiple users' cryptocurrency to obscure transaction trails
Mixers/tumblers combine funds from multiple users to break the transaction trail on the blockchain, making them a common money laundering tool.
Question 6: Which federal law criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems and is frequently used in Treasury-related cybercrime investigations?
- The Privacy Act of 1974
- The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) (Correct answer)
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
Correct answer: The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
The CFAA is the primary federal statute addressing unauthorized computer access and is used in prosecuting cybercrime and financial system intrusions.
Question 7: What is 'phishing' in the context of financial cybercrime, and how does it typically enable fraud?
- Illegally intercepting encrypted communications on a network
- Deceiving individuals into revealing credentials via fraudulent emails or websites to gain account access (Correct answer)
- Using malware to directly transfer funds from victim accounts
- Exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in banking software
Correct answer: Deceiving individuals into revealing credentials via fraudulent emails or websites to gain account access
Phishing uses deceptive communications to trick victims into surrendering login credentials, enabling fraudulent account access and fund transfers.
Treasury Enforcement Agent Exam Technology & Digital Applications 3
An agent needs to obtain real-time location data from a suspect's cell phone.
Which legal authority is typically required?