Recent news stories report that the FBI is developing software that could be installed remotely to monitor and log when suspects key in passwords for programs such as PGP. For a controversial twist, some rumours suggested that anti-virus companies were being asked to not detect the tool.
Although assisting properly-authorised law enforcement to monitor suspects might sound like a good idea the danger is that the same (or modified) spying software could be used by criminals too. Symantec, Network Associates, Trend and Sophos have all made statements denying they would put customers at risk in this way.