How 'Britain's FBI' hacks into computers to catch criminals and cyber-gangs

In a rare glimpse into the scope of its active surveillance operations, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), also dubbed the 'British FBI', has outlined some examples of the computer hacking and snooping techniques it uses to help catch crooks involved in everything from financial cybercrime to sextortion schemes.
The hacking – or 'equipment interference' as it's called by UK intelligence – disclosures were published this month in a joint submission to the UK Parliament by the NCA, HM Revenue & Customs and the National Police Chiefs Council as part of the ongoing scrutiny of the Investigatory Powers Bill. The controversial law, branded a Snoopers' Charter by critics, includes proposals that seek to enhance the surveillance powers open to the UK government, police and intelligence agencies while legitimising some of the tactics exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013