suRootRemote malicious surveillance software

Mark R. Diamond made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Federal Police

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Australian Federal Police.

Mark R. Diamond

Dear Australian Federal Police,

I request access to any document that shows the price paid by the Australian Federal Police for a licence to use the surveillance malware know as "suRootRemote" during 2016. (Search period 1 November 2015 to 31 March 2016).

In case there is any difficulty in identifying the malware I'm referring to, suRootRemote is described by the manufacturers as being a suite of computer malware (actually "offensive security software") suitable for "law enforcement and others requiring stealth-access capabilities". The capabilities, of which the AFP is no doubt aware, include:
--the capacity to monitor all keyboard and mouse activity;
--view the user screen (similar to Microsoft Remote Access);
--deliver software payloads to permanently alter select firmware on the remote computer;
--stealth (hide from antivirus software and process monitoring).

Yours faithfully,

Mark R. Diamond

FOI, Australian Federal Police

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FOI, Australian Federal Police

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Good afternoon Mr Diamond,

         

Your Freedom of Information Request

 

I refer to your application emailed 6 May 2017 in which you seek access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) as follows:

 

I request access to any document that shows the price paid by the
Australian Federal Police for a licence to use the surveillance malware
know as "suRootRemote" during 2016.  (Search period 1 November 2015 to 31
March 2016).

 

In case there is any difficulty in identifying the malware I'm referring
to, suRootRemote is described by the manufacturers as being a suite of
computer malware (actually "offensive security software") suitable for
"law enforcement and others requiring stealth-access capabilities". The
capabilities, of which the AFP is no doubt aware, include:

--the capacity to monitor all keyboard and mouse activity; --view the user
screen (similar to Microsoft Remote Access); --deliver software payloads
to permanently alter select firmware on the remote computer; --stealth
(hide from antivirus software and process monitoring).

 

Information considered irrelevant to the scope of your request

 

The AFP, in its management of FOI requests, excludes the following
information on the basis that is irrelevant to the scope of a request:

 

-              Names of AFP members, other than the Senior Executive.

-              Direct telephone numbers, signatures and mobile telephone
numbers of AFP members.

-              Duplicate documents, including duplicate emails.  The AFP
will only provide emails where they form a final email chain and the
authors/recipients are contained within the final email. 

-              Information that is publicly available, for example,
newspaper articles, online publications including information available on
the AFP Information Publication Scheme and the AFP disclosure log.

 

If you object to the AFP excluding any of the above information, please
advise this office within seven days of receipt of this letter.

 

Your request was received by this agency on 6 May 2017 2017 and the 30 day
statutory period for processing your request commenced from that date.

 

You will be notified of any charges in accordance with the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations, should they apply, in relation
to your request as soon as practicable. 

 

Disclosure Log

 

Please be advised that in accordance with section 11C of the Act, an
agency is required to publish information on their website following the
notification of a decision in respect of a freedom of information
request. 

 

The requirement to publish information released under FOI reinforces the
objectives of the FOI Act to promote a pro-disclosure culture across
government and to increase recognition that information held by government
is a national resource.  Exceptions to the requirement to publish
information would apply to personal information and information concerning
the business affairs of a person if it was considered ‘unreasonable’ to do
so.  Details of the decision may be published in a Disclosure Log which
can be found at
[1]https://www.afp.gov.au/about-us/informat....
Publication will be made in accordance with timeframes stipulated in
section 11C of the Act.

 

If, however, after noting the above, you wish to raise any concerns about
the publication of information concerning your request prior to the
notification of a decision, please advise this office in writing before 5
June 2017.  If you do not raise any concerns prior to the date of the
decision, the AFP will publish the information as notified to you in the
decision.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

IVA (AFP22679)
TEAM MEMBER - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
CHIEF COUNSEL PORTFOLIO

Tel +61(0) 2 61316131  

[2]www.afp.gov.au

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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FOI, Australian Federal Police

2 Attachments

For-Official-Use-Only

Good afternoon Mr Diamond,

 

Please find attached our decision in relation to your Freedom of
Information request.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

IVA (AFP22679)
TEAM MEMBER - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
CHIEF COUNSEL PORTFOLIO

Tel +61(0) 2 61316131  

[1]www.afp.gov.au

 

 

For-Official-Use-Only

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