Market For Spy Tech Booming

Documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal reveal the booming market in hacking tools and surveillance technology that has thrived since the September 11 attacks. The catalogs, obtained from attendees at a conference held last month near Washington, D.C., describe tools that can break into people's computers and cell phones and log their keystrokes, as well as devices that can intercept tens of thousands of cellular communications and massive amounts of Internet activity. The market for such technology has grown from “near zero” in 2001 to $5 billion a year, according to the technology show's operator. Critics say it amounts to a new sort of arms trade, with many of the devices going to repressive regimes.