PROMIS Software
artifactAI & Compute · Intelligence & Surveillance · The Blackmail Network · Darknet & Cyber
A piece of stolen software with a hidden backdoor was sold to 88 countries — and a journalist investigating it was found dead.
Who they are
PROMIS, an intelligence and case-management software program stolen from a company called Inslaw Inc.
What they do
The engine reads it as a secretly compromised surveillance platform, seeded worldwide.
How it works
It was distributed to 88+ countries partly through the Cabazon Indian Reservation (using tribal sovereign land to bypass rules); John Tower sold it to Sandia and Los Alamos national labs; journalist Danny Casolaro, investigating its distribution network he called 'the Octopus,' was found dead in August 1991.
Why it matters
The engine treats it as the template for later surveillance tools like Pegasus, Palantir and Carbyne.
The engine's record — word for word
Maxwell Phase 1 backdoored intelligence platform. Stolen from Inslaw Inc. Distributed to 88+ countries via Cabazon Indian Reservation (sovereign territory bypass). John Tower sold to Sandia National Labs + Los Alamos. Danny Casolaro murdered Aug 1991 investigating "Octopus" (PROMIS distribution network). Template for all subsequent surveillance infrastructure: Pegasus, Palantir, Carbyne.
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