Inspector General infosec audits etc. 1996-2016.5 (Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General)

Submitted on Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 10:53
Submitted by user: Anonymous
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Select the DHS component you wish to submit your request to: : Office of
Inspector General (OIG)
Title:
First Name: Emma
Middle Initial:
Last Name: Best
Suffix:
Email Address: requests@muckrock.com
Country: United States
Address 1: MuckRock News DEPT MR 74880
Address 2: 411A Highland Ave
City: Somerville
State: Massachusetts
Zip Code: 02144
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Are you requesting records on yourself? No
If yes, you must check the perjury statement: I declare (or certify, verify,
or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of
America that the foregoing is true and correct.
By initialing here you are providing your electronic signature.: EB
Please describe the records you are seeking as clearly and precisely as
possible:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following
records:

Copies of records mentioning or describing audits, reviews, investigations or
reports regarding the agency's cyber security, including audits or
investigations regarding the state of the agency's cyber security regarding
potential attacks as well as audits and investigations conducted in the wake
of a suspected or actual cyber attack, hacking incident or breach. Please
include materials generated between 1 January 1996 and 30 June 2016.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and
this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me
of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the
request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if
not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look
forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days,
as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Emma Best
I am willing to pay fees for this request up to the amount of: $: 1
Select from the list below: A representative of the news media seeking
information as part of a news gathering effort and not for commercial use.
I request a waiver of all fees for this request.:
Please provide an explanation for your request for a fee waiver:
I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have
previously written about the government and its activities, with some
reaching over 100,000 readers in outlets such as Gizmodo, MuckRock,
Motherboard, Property of the People, AND Magazine, Unicorn Riot, and more. As
such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and
writing skills are well established.
In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them
available through non-profits such as the library Internet Archive and the
journalist non-profit, MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience.
While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this,
focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it
is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular
subject in advance.
Additionally, case law states that “proof of the ability to disseminate the
released information to a broad cross- section of the public is not
required.” Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Dep’t of Justice, 365 F.3d 1108, 1126
(D.C. Cir. 2004); see Carney v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 19 F.3d 807, 814-15
(2d Cir. 1994). Further, courts have held that "qualified because it also had
“firm” plans to “publish a number of . . . ‘document sets’”
concerning United States foreign and national security policy." Under this
criteria, as well, I qualify as a member of the news media.
Additionally, courts have held that the news media status "focuses on the
nature of the requester, not its request. The provision requires that the
request be “made by” a representative of the news media. Id.§
552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II). A newspaper reporter, for example, is a representative
of the news media regardless of how much interest there is in the story for
which he or she is requesting information." As such, the details of the
request itself are moot for the purposes of
determining the appropriate fee category.
As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting
on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.
Please select and describe in detail if you believe your request warrants
expeditious handling:
Please provide information to support your selection:

Dear Ms. Best:

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Attached please find DHS-OIG's acknowledgement of the above-referenced FOIA request.

Sincerely,

FOIA/DHS-OIG

Dear Ms. Best:

Thank you for your interest in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). I am writing in regards to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request you submitted on June 6, 2019. DHS OIG sent you an acknowledgment letter on June 11, 2019.

In the request you are seeking copies of records mentioning or describing audits, reviews, investigations or reports regarding the agency's cyber security, including audits or investigations regarding the state of the agency's cyber security regarding potential attacks as well as audits and investigations conducted in the wake of a suspected or actual cyber attack, hacking incident or breach. The timeframe for the request is January 1, 1996 through June 30, 2016.

Are you able to provide additional clarification as to exactly what types of records you are seeking?

Please be advised that all DHS OIG audits, inspections, and special reviews are publicly posted on OIG's website https://www.oig.dhs.gov/reports/audits-inspections-and-evaluations.

If you would like to speak with someone, please contact our office at (202) 981-6100 and ask to speak to Gina.

Sincerely,

FOIA/DHS-OIG

Dear Ms. Best:

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG). Attached please find DHS-OIG's final response of the above-referenced FOIA request.

Sincerely,

FOIA/DHS-OIG

Good Afternoon,
Please find attached, correspondence related to our request.
OIG, ILD