Category Archives: NSO Group

The zero-day industry tries ‘transparency’ in Dubai

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In an industry that tends to be quiet by design, a new international firm is deliberately making noise. Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, Crowdfense first attracted attention in April when it announced a $10 million fund to pay enterprising hackers for zero-day exploits that the company then turns around to sell to government customers. The payouts include up to $3 million for hackers who break into iOS and Android devices. The big money comes paired with an earnest promise of “transparency” that is unique in an industry where secrecy is standard operating procedure. Crowdfense director Andrea Zapparoli Manzoni told CyberScoop that he wants to “do things differently.” The zero-day industry uncovers — through research or by purchase — exploits in computer systems and then sells them to the highest bidder. Many governments and even some private companies are involved in the business. Crowdfense shares a lot in common with its closest competitor […]

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Tor’s ex-director thinks ISS World gets a bad rap

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The man who was once in charge of overseeing Tor will soon turn to law enforcement in order to explain how to de-anonymize the service’s users. Andrew Lewman, once revered as a giant in the world of hacking and privacy activism, is slated to headline the ISS World conference in Malaysia, a controversial surveillance tech and government trade show that features hacking heavyweights like Italy’s Hacking Team, Germany’s FinFisher and Israel’s NSO Group. Lewman will be attending as vice president of dark web intelligence firm DarkOWL (previously OWL Cybersecurity). Although it’s one of the most contentious conferences in tech, Lewman says ISS World isn’t nearly as bad as it’s made out to be by critics. “I don’t think ISS World is controversial at all,” he said. “I think it’s a training exercise. If you’re working with law enforcement, that’s where they go to learn about the cool new technology.” “It’s like RSA for law enforcement,” he […]

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Israeli firm selling WiFi interception kit that can be used remotely

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The Wi-Fi interception industry is more competitive than ever as multiple Israeli companies market products that governments can use to break into wireless networks for the purposes of surveillance and further cyberattacks. The Israeli company Jenovice Cyber Labs, founded in 2012 near Tel Aviv by Israeli intelligence veteran Leon Perez, is now marketing two interception products that allow the company’s clients to geolocate targets and intercept Wi-Fi with a tool that can be operated remotely from anywhere in the world. The newest product, a Wi-Fi interception tool known as Piranha, has a maximum range of 700 meters (2100 feet) when used with an external amplifier. An officer in the field will carry or place the small device within range while a remote operator can control the action from any location. Piranha exploits vulnerabilities in WiFi networks, connects an attacker to as many as 50 targeted devices at once, and enables bothg surveillance and man-in-the-middle […]

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Israeli startup touting ‘the longest range’ Wi-Fi spying tool in the world

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Israel has a reputation for being home to some of the most capable offensive hacking firms on the planet. These shadowy companies sell wares to governments all over the world, and the market grows more and more competitive every year. Case in point: The launch of a new Israeli firm called WiSpear, which is sparking a new rivalry in the lucrative business of Wi-Fi interception. This tech is used by police, intelligence and military agencies, which pay hackers to break into the networks of chosen targets. WiSpear, launched in 2016 by a former commander in the Special Operations Unit of the Intelligence Corps in the Israeli Defense Force, sells the “SpearHead Wi-Fi Man-in-the-middle platform, ” promising to intercept a targeted Wi-Fi signal — and then steal data like social media passwords and other communications — at “the longest interception ranges” and with a design that can “integrate with any infection system.” The kilometers-long range is […]

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Israeli hacking firm Ability under SEC investigation, adding to its woes

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At a glance, the private hacking and surveillance industry is rich and getting richer. Yet that industry boom doesn’t mean every company is raking in millions. Amid the high demand for surveillance tech, there is a multimillion-dollar Israeli firm whose future is very much in doubt. Ability Inc. is staring at a mountain of business and legal challenges. The 23-year-old company is currently under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly lying about products and finances. It’s also facing an investor lawsuit for many of the same allegations, was nearly delisted from NASDAQ and has watched nearly a dozen board members resign in the last year. At the heart of the lawsuits are allegations that Ability lied for years about the company’s ability to develop, sell and deploy its flagship product. The tool, which is spyware designed to eavesdrop on any mobile phone, was not developed by Ability nor does the company […]

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New cybersecurity partnership makes it easier for Israeli companies to sell to U.S. authorities

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The United States and Israel unveiled a new cybersecurity partnership on Monday aimed at “stopping adversaries in networks and identifying ways to hold bad actors responsible,” according to White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert. Bossert announced the “Israeli-U.S. bilateral cyber working group” at the opening of the Cyber Week 2017 conference in Tel Aviv. The group, which will meet this week, will be led by Rob Joyce, the White House’s cybersecurity coordinator, and Eviatar Matania, the director general of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate. Members will include an unspecified number of representatives from across the U.S. and Israeli military, criminal justice and foreign relations establishments. Joyce previously ran the U.S. National Security Agency’s Tailored Access Operations (NSA TAO), the spy agency’s offensive division. Matania has helped shape Israeli cybersecurity policy for the past several years but has a private sector pedigree that includes tech and venture capital. “The meetings this week will focus on a […]

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Mexico Hacking and Spying on Its Citizens Is a ‘Human Rights Crisis’

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The illegal use of hacking tools by the Mexican government against activists and reporters has become a systematic policy of intimidation and harassment. Continue reading Mexico Hacking and Spying on Its Citizens Is a ‘Human Rights Crisis’→

ISS World: The traveling spyware roadshow for dictatorships and democracies

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At 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 20, masked men rushed into Ahmed Mansoor’s family home and took him into custody. An internationally-renowned human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates, Mansoor and his family were left without explanation as to why he was being taken away. However, they are accustomed to this type of situation. Mansoor has been a constant target of government pressure for a decade, including being jailed for eight months in 2011 for “insulting officials.” The pressure often takes the form of an endless stream of cyberattacks and surveillance. The March incident was no different, as police confiscated all of his electronic devices, many of which have been the target of repeated government-sponsored hacking. Mansoor’s unparalleled history of being hacked has led observers to label him the most spied upon man in the world. “They’re really, really trying to get this guy as much as they can,” Citizen Lab researcher Bill Marczak […]

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Mexican Govt. Allegedly Used Spyware Against Journalists, Activists & A Child

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After the disclosure of sophisticated global espionage and disinformation campaign aimed to discredit enemies of the state, Citizen Lab researchers exposed the dirty game of the Mexican government and its politics.

The report — “Government Spy: Systematic monitoring of journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico” — published by Citizen Lab today revealed how the Mexican government used

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