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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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. The post German authorities raid the offices of the FinFisher surveillance firm appeared first on Security Affairs. Pierluigi Paganini.

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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.

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Security Affairs

AUGUST 30, 2019

A Russian security researcher has found that hardware wiretapping equipment composing Russia’s SORM surveillance system had been leaking user data. SORM is a mass surveillance system that allows the Government of Moscow to track online activities of single individuals thanks to the support of the Russian ISPs.

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Schneier on Security

MARCH 31, 2024

Of course it was before 2008, when we created the Security and Human Behavior workshop. It was well before 2001, when we created the Workshop on Economics and Information Security. He was the first person to understand that security problems are often actually economic problems. Okay, he created both—I helped.)

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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. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook. Pierluigi Paganini.

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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. “Apple’s teams work tirelessly to protect the critical threat-intelligence information that Apple uses to protect its users worldwide. ” reads the court filing.

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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.

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Security Affairs

JUNE 10, 2020

Slovak police seized wiretapping devices connected to Govnet government network and arrested four individuals, including the head of a government agency. GOVNET is a network that interconnects different Slovak government agencies. the Head of the NASES Surveillance Center Ján K., The news site Aktuality.sk

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Schneier on Security

JUNE 6, 2023

In 2013 and 2014, I wrote extensively about new revelations regarding NSA surveillance based on the documents provided by Edward Snowden. Neither were any of the algorithm names I knew, not even algorithms I knew that the US government used. I tried to talk to Greenwald about his own operational security. Answer: your name.

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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.

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Security Affairs

MARCH 20, 2025

The Ukrainian government experts noticed that some messages were sent from compromised contacts to increase trust. The modular architecture of the malware allows to extend its functionalities for multiple malicious purposes, including surveillance, reconnaissance, information theft, DDoS attacks, and arbitrary code execution.

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Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Australia’s Defense Department announced that they will remove surveillance cameras made by Chinese firms linked to the government of Beijing. Australia’s Defense Department is going to replace surveillance cameras made by Chinese firms Hikvision and Dahua, who are linked to the government of Beijing.

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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. The report did not attribute the attacks to a specific threat actor or did not reveal what information was obtained following the compromise of the victims’ devices. Pierluigi Paganini.

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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.

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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.

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Joseph Steinberg

OCTOBER 21, 2022

When we think of encryption, we should realize that, today, the following is all true: It is so important to do, And so easy to do, But so many people still do not do it, And now governments want to outlaw it. Here Is Why It Should Not. .” ” View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Joseph Steinberg (@josephsteinberg).

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Security Affairs

APRIL 26, 2022

An interesting article published by The Intercept reveals the secretive business of a US surveillance firm named Anomaly Six. According to an interesting analysis published by The Intercept, Anomaly Six is a secretive government contractor that claims to monitor billions of phones worldwide.

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Security Affairs

APRIL 17, 2023

The Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream is allegedly shutting down its operations after Citizen Lab and Microsoft uncovered their spyware. Last week Citizen Lab researchers reported that at least five civil society members were victims of spyware and exploits developed by the Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream. and 14.4.2,

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Security Affairs

APRIL 12, 2023

At least five members of civil society worldwide have been targeted with spyware and exploits developed by surveillance firm QuaDream. Citizen Lab researchers reported that at least five civil society members were victims of spyware and exploits developed by the Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream. ” concludes Citizen Lab.

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Security Affairs

JULY 19, 2023

government added surveillance technology vendors Cytrox and Intellexa to an economic blocklist for trafficking in cyber exploits. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is a trade control list created and maintained by the U.S. government. national security or foreign policy interests.

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Security Affairs

JUNE 17, 2022

Experts uncovered an enterprise-grade surveillance malware dubbed Hermit used to target individuals in Kazakhstan, Syria, and Italy since 2019. Lookout Threat Lab researchers uncovered enterprise-grade Android surveillance spyware, named Hermit, used by the government of Kazakhstan to track individuals within the country.

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Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Ron Wyden warns of national security risks after Elon Musk s DOGE was given full access to sensitive Treasury systems. 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. Treasury payments system.

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Security Affairs

DECEMBER 24, 2019

According to a report published by the New York Times, the popular app ToTok was used by the UAE government as a surveillance tool. The report said US intelligence officials and a security researcher determined the app was being used by the UAE government for detailed surveillance. ” reported the AFP agency.

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Security Affairs

MARCH 13, 2025

North Korea-linked threat actor ScarCruft (aka APT37 , Reaper, and Group123) is behind a previously undetected Android surveillance tool namedKoSpythat was used to target Korean and English-speaking users. Cyber attacks conducted by the APT37 group mainly targeted government, defense, military,and media organizations in South Korea.

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Security Affairs

MARCH 28, 2024

In 2023, the researchers attributed a combined total of 48 out of 58 zero-day vulnerabilities to commercial surveillance vendors (CSVs) and government espionage actors, while 10 zero-day flaws were attributed to financially motivated actors. ” continues the report.

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Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 24, 2022

The British government banned the installation of Chinese-linked security cameras at sensitive facilities due to security risks. Reuters reports that the British government ordered its departments to stop installing Chinese security cameras at sensitive buildings due to security risks. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Government Surveillance Risk Manufacturing 98

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Lookout researchers discovered two long-running surveillance campaigns targeting the ethnic minority Uyghurs. Researchers from mobile security firm Lookout uncovered two long-running surveillance campaigns targeting the Uyghurs minority. List of installed packages. Call logs and geocoded location associated with the call. .”

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Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

The United States government sued Edward Snowden , the former CIA employee and NSA contractor, to block payment for his book, Permanent Record. The US DoJ filed a lawsuit against Edward Snowden to prevent the former CIA employee and National Security Agency contractor from receiving the payment for his book, Permanent Record.

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Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Nexa Technologies was indicted for complicity in acts of torture, the French firm is accused of having sold surveillance equipment to the Egypt. Nexa Technologies offers a range of solutions for homeland security, including surveillance solutions. A weapon of choice for authoritarian governments.”

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Security Affairs

MAY 21, 2020

The Chafer APT group has distributed data stealer malware since at least mid-2014, it was focused on surveillance operations and the tracking of individuals. Anyway we cannot underestimate that these hacking groups are extending their range of action targeting government and organizations worldwide. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Security Affairs

MAY 23, 2022

We assess the exploits were packaged by a single commercial surveillance company, Cytrox, and sold to different govt-backed actors. The attacks aimed at installing the surveillance spyware Predator, developed by the North Macedonian firm Cytrox. link] — Shane Huntley (@ShaneHuntley) May 19, 2022. ” continues the report.

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Security Affairs

DECEMBER 3, 2021

The US officials targeted by the surveillance software were either based in Uganda or focused on matters concerning the African country, revealed Reuters which was not able to determine which was NSO client that orchestrated the attacks. NSO announced that it will cooperate with any relevant government authority to track down the attackers.

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Security Affairs

JUNE 20, 2020

Malicious Chrome browser extensions were employed in a surveillance campaign on a large scale, millions of users potentially impacted. The malicious Chrome browser extensions were discovered by researchers from Awake Security that shared their findings with Google. ” reads the analysis published by Awake Security.

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