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Security Australia Privacy

Australian Cops and Anti-Corruption Agencies Keen On Hacking Team Malware 27

Bismillah writes: Although they've denied it in the past, Australia's federal and state police are very interested in Hacking Team's law enforcement spyware. There has also been recent interest from the Victoria state anti-corruption agency IBAC, leaked HT emails show. ITNews reports: "Emails leaked by attackers who infiltrated the systems of spyware provider Hacking Team this week reveal the Australian Federal Police was not the only local agency interested in the firm's suite of surveillance tools. Analysis of the leaked emails by iTnews reveals a number of agencies - including ASIO, IBAC and two local police forces - were also interested in the company's spyware."
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Australian Cops and Anti-Corruption Agencies Keen On Hacking Team Malware

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  • by nickweller ( 4108905 ) on Friday July 10, 2015 @07:35AM (#50080733)
    "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."
    • by Anonymous Coward

      "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

      "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

      "Yakety yak. Don't talk back."

      "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

    • "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."

      Curious - do you have a reference to something that shows the AFP, or ASIO have been using that software in breach of the law? I'm no fan of the police state - nor of hoods and hoodies.
      I note that the NSW Police was a user of Finn Fisher - but in that case also I've seen no evidence they misused it.

      • by firewrought ( 36952 ) on Friday July 10, 2015 @11:08AM (#50081929)

        I note that the NSW Police was a user of Finn Fisher - but in that case also I've seen no evidence they misused it.

        Of course you haven't... until the Hacking Team breach, you didn't know they were using it at all, am I right? With no transparency comes no accountability.

        Human nature is predictable. If you want to give me primae facia evidence that they aren't abusing it, then show me the warrants they've obtained for the use of the product. Show me the disclosure reports. Show me the convictions for those individuals who inevitably misused it (in exchange for a bribe or to spy on their girlfriend, for instance). Saying that nobody misused it whatsoever is like Russia claiming they don't have any handicap or gay people... just simply ridiculous.

        Western governments--those very countries which first embraced and first reaped the benefits of following sound democratic principles (limited government, human rights, due process, separation of powers, etc.)--are sliding into totalitarianism. I don't know how to fix it, but one thing we can all do is not be naive about human nature.

        • I note that the NSW Police was a user of Finn Fisher - but in that case also I've seen no evidence they misused it.

          Of course you haven't... until the Hacking Team breach, you didn't know they were using it at all, am I right?

          With no transparency comes no accountability.

          Human nature is predictable. If you want to give me primae facia evidence that they aren't abusing it, then show me the warrants they've obtained for the use of the product.

          You make the (spurious) claim - it's incumbent on you to provide the evidence, don't you think?

          Your rant is misplaced - you want the Youtuber comments section. And your logic schema is missing the elements required for a sane person to reach the claimed conclusion you try and pass as fact. Even if you are only 16 you still are woefully immature.

          The NSW Police do have warrants that would enable them to use Finn Fisher, they also did not buy the licenses from hidden slush funds (which is kind of telling). The

          • You asked for proof and I pointed out that we don't have the visibility necessary for proof. I then appealed to wisdom vis-a-vis human nature to establish concern. (Which was directed at first world countries in general, not NZ in particular, though granted I didn't spell that out. Hey, maybe the Kiwis have their act together... that's great if so! I'd love to be wrong.) The drumbeat of incremental power grabs is very telling though, at least to those of us who've seen a bit of history. But feel free to cl

            • You asked for proof and I pointed out that we don't have the visibility necessary for proof.

              Read again. You demanded proof. I replied that as you made the unsubstantiated claims it was, and still is, incumbent on you to provide proof. "The Moving Finger writes..."

              I then appealed to wisdom vis-a-vis human nature to establish concern.

              A specious claim. You tried to sell a false conclusion as a fact - and now you spew half-understood rhetoric in denial. I don't know whether you're a pro-panopticon shill trying to discredit those of us opposed to spying without transparent oversight (and review), or just over-excited and ignorant. Either way your claims help Five Eyes

          • Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia

  • by AHuxley ( 892839 ) on Friday July 10, 2015 @08:17AM (#50080881) Journal
    Just wondering how good behavioral and heuristic analysis or an out going firewalls would have to be on a new open/closed OS?
    How good would a surveillance platform have to be when facing different updated OS's and EU, Russian and US anti-virus technology?
    A unique product per individual platform to ensure that "Synchronisation" kept working and was not detected next random software upgrade?
  • by Anonymous Coward

    From the old tv show 'MASH' :
    That's not an oral thermometer.

  • Where it was shown that Hacking Team's software WAS BACK DOORED!

    Stupid fucking twits.

    • by Megol ( 3135005 )

      Where it was shown that Hacking Team's software WAS BACK DOORED!

      Stupid fucking twits.

      How is this relevant to this story? This is about the agencies listed being interested in using the hacking software (the deployment of which isn't a malware per se). Not about the quality of hacking team software nor the reliability of hacking team as a partner to law enforcement.

      Law enforcement have more rights than common people, as long as they keep within those extended rights I don't see a problem. If one thinks they are allowed to do things they shouldn't be doing there are mechanisms available to (a

      • by Chas ( 5144 )

        Sure, because only idiots would use a tool that they KNOW compromises their own systems as well.

        • by Megol ( 3135005 )

          Probably.
          Where are your proof that the agencies in question knew about this backdoor (assuming it exists)?

  • I suspect that there will be information on most countries having some group interested in this.

    Dutch police: http://www.nu.nl/internet/4083... [www.nu.nl]
    Dutch IRS: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/104... [tweakers.net]

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