The NTAC was set up last year under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which came into force in October 2000 introducing new rules on the interception of communications data.
The NTAC was designed to make technically possible certain RIPA provisions including the interception of communications and the decryption of lawfully seized data such as encrypted e-mail messages.
The centre has already been decrypting data since summer 2001 and it was scheduled to begin internet interceptions this month. However, Computing reports that the go-live date will now be in “early 2003”. It appears that no reason for the delay was given.