Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

government officials. telecoms, compromising networks to steal call records and access private communications, mainly of government and political figures. A cyberattack tied to the Chinese government penetrated the networks of a swath of U.S. broadband providers is still ongoing, government experts are assessing its scope.

Government 112

Government Telecommunications Surveillance Risk 112

Schneier on Security

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

China is being blamed for a massive surveillance operation that targeted Uyghur Muslims. Earlier this year Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) discovered a small collection of hacked websites. The hacked sites were being used in indiscriminate watering hole attacks against their visitors, using iPhone 0-day.

Hacking 267

Hacking Surveillance Malware Government 267

Malwarebytes

MAY 8, 2025

The purpose was to gain access to the messages on those devices, which were typically used by attorneys, journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, diplomats, and other senior foreign government officials. However, the jury awarded Meta $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167,254,000 in punitive damages.

Spyware 110

Spyware Hacking Surveillance Government 110

Schneier on Security

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Spying and surveillance are different but related things. If I hired that same private detective to put you under surveillance, I would get a different report: where you went, whom you talked to, what you purchased, what you did. Before the internet, putting someone under surveillance was expensive and time-consuming.

Surveillance 342

Surveillance Government Advertising Marketing 342

Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

Google has removed an app from the Play Store that was used by the Belarusian government to spy on anti-government protesters. Google has removed the app NEXTA LIVE ( com.moonfair.wlkm ) from the official Play Store because it was used by the Belarusian government to spy on anti-government protesters. site (89.223.89[.]47).”

Surveillance 138

Surveillance Government Advertising Malware 138

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Court documents state that on October 29, 2019, plaintiffs filed this lawsuit, alleging that the defendants used WhatsApp to target approximately 1,400 mobile phones and devices to infect them with the surveillance software. ” reads the court document. ” The U.S. from April 29, 2018, to May 10, 2020).

Spyware 108

Spyware Surveillance Software Hacking 108

Security Affairs

MARCH 21, 2025

The company exclusively sells exploits to the Russian government and local firms. Russian intelligence agencies could use these exploits for surveillance and espionage purposes. Despite the ban on military and government devices, Ukrainian users rely heavily on Telegram to communicate and receive news on ongoing conflicts.

Government 144

Government Surveillance Mobile Hacking 144

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Researchers warn of previously undetected surveillance spyware, named NoviSpy, that was found infecting a Serbian journalist’s phone. Then he requested help from Amnesty Internationals Security Lab fearing to be the target of surveillance software like other journalists in Serbia. Development traces back to at least 2018.

Spyware 105

Spyware Surveillance Technology Mobile 105

CyberSecurity Insiders

JULY 22, 2021

Chine Foreign Ministry has issued a public statement condemning the distribution and usage of Pegasus Spyware surveillance software by various countries. It has also accused United States & NATO for circulating misinformation that the Chinese intelligence was funding hacking groups to launch cyber attacks on the west.

Surveillance 145

Surveillance Spyware Software Government 145

Security Affairs

JANUARY 9, 2022

The US NCSC and the Department of State published joint guidance on defending against attacks using commercial surveillance tools. In the last years, we have reported several cases of companies selling commercial surveillance tools to governments and other entities that have used them for malicious purposes. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 145

Surveillance Mobile Spyware Malware 145

Krebs on Security

OCTOBER 28, 2020

In August, Gunnebo said it had successfully thwarted a ransomware attack, but this week it emerged that the intruders stole and published online tens of thousands of sensitive documents — including schematics of client bank vaults and surveillance systems.

Hacking 356

Hacking Ransomware Banking Accountability 356

Security Affairs

APRIL 29, 2025

The report published by GTIG highlights evolving attacker tactics, better vendor defenses, and growing challenges in detecting commercial surveillance activity. Google attributed 34 cases, with 53% tied to cyber espionage groups, mainly nation-state or commercial surveillance vendors. ” reads the report published GTIG.

Surveillance 108

Surveillance Mobile Software Hacking 108

Security Affairs

JULY 9, 2023

The French government is going to grant law enforcement the power to spy on suspects through smartphones and other devices. “”We’re far away from the totalitarianism of 1984,” George Orwell’s novel about a society under total surveillance, Dupond-Moretti said.

Surveillance 98

Surveillance Government Spyware IoT 98

Security Affairs

AUGUST 6, 2022

Greek intelligence admitted it had spied on a journalist, while citizens ask the government to reveal the use of surveillance malware. The head of the Greek intelligence told a parliamentary committee that they had spied on a journalist with surveillance malware , Reuters reported citing two sources present. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 125

Surveillance Malware Spyware Government 125

Malwarebytes

APRIL 11, 2025

The US State Department reportedly plans to sign an international agreement designed to govern the use of commercial spyware known as the Pall Mall Pact. The goal of the Pall Mall Pact is to regulate Commercial Cyber Intrusion Capabilities (CCICs), or what we usually refer to as spyware and surveillance tools.

Spyware 88

Spyware Surveillance Government VPN 88

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 30, 2019

The United Arab Emirates denied reports that the popular mobile app ToTok was used as part of a government massive surveillance program. According to a report recently published by the New York Times , the popular app ToTok was used by the UAE government as a surveillance tool. SecurityAffairs – ToTok, surveillance).

Surveillance 95

Surveillance Government Telecommunications Advertising 95

Schneier on Security

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

It's also why the United States has blocked the cybersecurity company Kaspersky from selling its Russian-made antivirus products to US government agencies. We have credible reports that the Chinese hacked Gmail around 2010, and there are ongoing concerns about both censorship and surveillance by the Chinese social-networking company TikTok.

Surveillance 251

Surveillance Wireless Government Internet 251

The Hacker News

MARCH 20, 2025

The governments of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore are likely customers of spyware developed by Israeli company Paragon Solutions, according to a new report from The Citizen Lab.

Spyware 122

Spyware Government Surveillance Hacking 122

Security Affairs

OCTOBER 14, 2020

Earlier this month, German authorities have raided the offices of FinFisher, the German surveillance software firm, accused of providing its software to oppressive regimes. SecurityAffairs – hacking, K-Electric). The post German authorities raid the offices of the FinFisher surveillance firm appeared first on Security Affairs.

Surveillance 126

Surveillance Spyware Advertising Software 126

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

Many reports claim these bad actors have gained access to some providers’ customer information over an extended period of time – phone calls, text messages, and other sensitive information, particularly from government officials. Connectivity to a compromised provider was interrupted, and T-Mobile notified industry and government leaders.

Mobile 115

Mobile Telecommunications Government Internet 115

Security Affairs

APRIL 8, 2025

The hacking campaign targeted 90 users and was disrupted in December, WhatsApp immediately alerted targeted users of a possible compromise of their devices. The Meta-owned company linked the hacking campaign to Paragon , an Israeli commercial surveillance vendor acquired by AE Industrial Partners for $900 million in December 2024.

Spyware 115

Spyware Media Surveillance Hacking 115

Security Affairs

JULY 19, 2021

Pegasus Project investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets revealed the abuse of NSO Group’s spyware. Pegasus Project is the name of a large-scale investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets that revealed the abuse of NSO Group’s spyware.

Spyware 131

Spyware Government Surveillance Media 131

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Tens of Al Jazeera employees were targeted in a cyber espionage campaign leveraging a zero-click iOS zero-day vulnerability to hack their iPhones. Researchers from Citizen Lab reported that at least 36 Al Jazeera employees were targeted in a cyber espionage campaign leveraging a zero-click iOS zero-day vulnerability to hack their iPhones.

Hacking 142

Hacking Surveillance Spyware Government 142

Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

The IT giant fears that the disclosures of its threat intelligence related to commercial spyware operations could aid NSO and other surveillance firms. Because of these efforts, along with the efforts of others in the industry and national governments to combat the rise of commercial spyware, Defendants have been substantially weakened.”

Surveillance 119

Surveillance Spyware Risk Hacking 119

Security Affairs

APRIL 8, 2020

In October 2019, WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group accusing it of carrying out malicious attacks against its users. The researchers also spotted other attacks against a Mexican journalist who reported to the public a story of the corruption in the Mexican government. ”the court filing reads.

Surveillance 136

Surveillance Spyware Advertising Government 136

The Last Watchdog

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

Related: Nation-state hacks suggest cyber war is underway. The disturbing thing is that in North America and Europe more and more arguments are being raised in support of creating and maintaining encryption backdoors for government use. If they can see all the traffic all the time, they can just sit back and surveil everything.

Encryption 157

Encryption Government Surveillance Technology 157

Security Affairs

JUNE 24, 2022

Researchers from Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) revealed that the Italian surveillance firm RCS Labs was helped by some Internet service providers (ISPs) in Italy and Kazakhstan to infect Android and iOS users with their spyware. SecurityAffairs – hacking, RCS Labs). Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook.

Surveillance 135

Surveillance Mobile Spyware Telecommunications 135

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

One of the Apple iOS zero-day flaws exploited by the NSO group was also used by another surveillance firm named QuaDream. One of the vulnerabilities in Apple iOS that was previously exploited by the spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group was also separately used by another surveillance firm named QuaDream.

Surveillance 98

Surveillance Spyware Government Hacking 98

Security Affairs

MAY 20, 2019

Amnesty International filed a lawsuit against Israeli surveillance firm NSO and fears its staff may be targeted by the company with its Pegasus spyware. The name NSO Group made the headlines last week after the disclosure of the WhatsApp flaw exploited by the company to remotely install its surveillance software.

Surveillance 106

Surveillance Spyware Software Government 106

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 3, 2021

sanctioned four companies for the development of surveillance malware or the sale of hacking tools used by nation-state actors, including NSO Group. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has sanctioned four companies for the development of spyware or the sale of hacking tools used by nation-state actors.

Technology 136

Technology Government Surveillance Spyware 136

Krebs on Security

MARCH 22, 2021

An ad for RedTorch’s “Cheetah” counter-surveillance tech. ” Frigg promises to include “elements that stems [sic] from major data hacks of known systems like Ashley Madison, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Fling.com, AdultFriendFinder and hundreds more.

Surveillance 327

Surveillance Computers and Electronics Internet Internet 327

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 4, 2024

The government agencies released a guide that advises telecom and critical infrastructure defenders on best practices to strengthen network security against PRC-linked and other cyber threats. telecoms, compromising networks to steal call records and access private communications, mainly of government and political figures.

Telecommunications 112

Telecommunications Government Mobile Cyber threats 112

Security Affairs

AUGUST 1, 2019

million to settle a legal dispute for selling vulnerable software to the US government. Back in 2008, a whistle-blower identifies a vulnerability in Cisco video surveillance software, but the tech giant continued to sell the software to US agencies until July 2013. Cisco is going to pay $8.6 ” reported The New York Times.

Surveillance 109

Surveillance Technology Government Software 109

Security Affairs

APRIL 13, 2022

According to a report published by Reuters, an Israeli surveillance software was used to spy on senior officials in the European Commission. ” “It was the first time Apple had sent a mass alert to users that they were in government hackers’ crosshairs.” SecurityAffairs – hacking, Pegasus).

Surveillance 104

Surveillance Software Spyware Hacking 104

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

The stolen documents contain evidence of a dragnet surveillance activity conducted by the intelligence service FSB. The Russian government illegally monitors citizens and private organizations across Russia. The warrantless surveillance of Russian citizens violates the country’s laws and their rights. continues the group.

Surveillance 98

Surveillance Internet Internet Government 98

The Hacker News

JULY 16, 2021

Two of the zero-day Windows flaws patched by Microsoft as part of its Patch Tuesday update earlier this week were weaponized by an Israel-based company called Candiru in a series of "precision attacks" to hack more than 100 journalists, academics, activists, and political dissidents globally.

Spyware 144

Spyware Government Surveillance Hacking 144

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Ron Wyden warned of national security risks after Elon Musk s team, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was granted full access to a sensitive U.S. It also contains vast amounts of personal financial data, making it vulnerable to leaks, fraud, and surveillance concerns. Treasury payments system.

Risk 116

Risk Surveillance Cyber threats Marketing 116