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Is 'Promis' Software Spying On Canadian Spies?

Posted by timothy on from the wouldn't-put-it-past-'em dept.

Legolas-Greenleaf writes: "The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are currently conducting an investigation into a software package called 'Promis,' used by the government, that allegedly contains a backdoor. According to Inslaw Inc. (original makers of Promis), the American and Israeli intelligence services pirated this software package, and resold a hacked version allowing them access. This software is possibly running in some of the RCMP's databases. The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail has a story on it here, and CNN has a story on it here." The whole thing reads a bit like a Monty Python sketch: a months-long investigation based on sketchy allegations from 1993, claiming some very interesting just-among-pals bureaucratic copyright violations. Hmmm. A handful of Canadian quarters says it's not an open-source product.

4 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. You young 'uns these days... by kubrick · · Score: 3

    Back when Wired was an interesting magazine (or at least had the potential to be one :) they reported on this in their very first issue....

    http://www.wired.com/wired/arch ive/1.01/inslaw.html

    --
    deus does not exist but if he does
  2. I'm not buying this... by Otter · · Score: 3

    First of all, I give Timothy credit for mentioning that these claims are a bit iffy, but I think he understates how shaky this story is. Maybe there are more facts available than are offered in these stories (links, anyone?) but what's here doesn't look too compelling.

    From the Globe and Mail:
    The allegations are not new. They were investigated and dismissed nine years ago by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service..
    and
    A U.S. government independent counsel in 1993 found no credible evidence to support Inslaw's allegations. The counsel, retired judge Nicholas Bua, said the company relied on witnesses who had credibility problems, including a former computer expert who is serving a sentence on drug charges and an Israeli who changed his story.

    And neither article mentions any shred of evidence that the allegation is true. And, at least as the stories present it, it doesn't even make sense. US and Israeli agencies sell this to other intelligence agencies. Accomplishing what? Or is the idea that governments were unknowingly buying the modified version?
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    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  3. The Inslaw vs. USA case was thrown out by isaac_akira · · Score: 5

    They won the orginal case, and an appeal, but the case was later thrown out because of a technicality.

    LOTS of details on the case:

    http://www.sonic.net/sentinel/gvcon7.html

    - Isaac =)

  4. Canadian Quarters by AirSupply · · Score: 3

    A handful of Canadian quarters says it's not an open-source product.

    Were these Canadian quarters a reliable source?

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    AirSupply: go ahead, cut me off.