BOSTON – The FBI office in Boston recently warned the best and brightest in the state’s universities to protect their research lest it fall into the hands of terrorists or foreign spies, reports the Associated Press.
FBI agents have already visited Harvard, Boston College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other schools, and are planning to launch the program nationwide. Agents advised professors to keep a close eye on their laptops, especially outside the United States, and to be careful who contacts them regarding their research.
Representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts are worried the FBI’s message will discourage people from asking questions for fear of arousing suspicion. An FBI spokesman indicated, however, that the agency is not trying to suppress information, but only raise awareness.
