. 24/7 Space News .
CYBER WARS
iPhone spyware spotlights Israel's secretive surveillance industry
By Jean-Luc Renaudie
Jerusalem (AFP) Aug 29, 2016


The discovery of sophisticated spyware to infiltrate and remotely take control of iPhones without leaving a trace has put a spotlight on Israel's secretive surveillance industry, considered among the world's most advanced.

Apple rushed out a security update last week after researchers said a prominent Emirati rights activist was targeted by "Pegasus" spyware attributed to Israeli firm NSO Group, based in Herzliya in the country's "Silicon Valley".

NSO Group, now owned by US private equity firm Francisco Partners Management, has flown far under the radar, without even a website.

It is among some 27 surveillance firms headquartered in Israel, according to a recent report from British NGO Privacy International -- putting the country of eight million people at the top of the list of such companies per capita.

According to Privacy International, Israel has 0.33 such firms per 100,000 people, while the United States has 0.04.

For the firms involved, the technology is meant to fight crime and terrorism through legal means. Israel's defence ministry must also approve exports of sensitive security products.

But activists question whether enough attention is paid to the potential for abuse of such invasive technology, including whether governments will simply target opponents.

"Opposition activists, human rights defenders, and journalists have been placed under intrusive government surveillance and individuals have had their communications read to them during torture," Privacy International said.

"State agencies are also utilising technologies used for surveillance for offensive and military purposes as well as espionage."

- 'Spy in his pocket' -

An investigation by Lookout mobile security firm and Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto found the spyware that forced Apple's update last week to be rare and powerful.

Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor's phone "would have become a digital spy in his pocket, capable of employing his iPhone's camera and microphone to snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device, recording his WhatsApp and Viber calls, logging messages sent in mobile chat apps, and tracking his movements," they said.

He was targeted by a simple text message that asked him to click on a link for information on detainees tortured in the United Arab Emirates.

Targeted by cyber attacks in the past, he became suspicious and forwarded it to Citizen Lab.

NSO did not confirm that it created the spyware used to target Mansoor.

But it said in a statement that it "sells only to authorised governmental agencies, and fully complies with strict export control laws and regulations".

"Moreover, the company does not operate any of its systems; it is strictly a technology company."

Israel's defence ministry, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment.

- Code-crackers -

Daniel Cohen, a cyber-terrorism expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said the country's expertise in such products stems in part from its military, which puts a premium on cyber-warfare training.

Most Jewish Israelis are required to serve in the military, whose Unit 8200 for signal intelligence and code-cracking is considered an incubator for future start-ups.

"Israel is among the world leaders in everything involving the cyber sector," Cohen said.

"After leaving the military, such experts take advantage of their knowledge to create start-ups or get hired at exorbitant salaries by existing firms."

Cohen said there are more than 300 cyber-related firms in Israel, though most create products to protect institutions against cyber attacks.

"Less than 10 percent of firms in the cyber sector have pursued an offensive niche, meaning technologies allowing the infiltration of computer systems," he said.

Companies with Israeli roots have provided technology to monitor Internet and phone communication to secret police in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as well as Colombian security forces, according to Privacy International.

They have also reportedly exported to Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Panama and Mexico, it said.

One case drew particular attention in 2011, when Internet-monitoring technology by Allot Communications was reportedly sold on by a distributor to Iran, Israel's arch-enemy.

Citizen Lab said: "Clearly, additional legal and regulatory scrutiny of the 'lawful intercept' market, and of NSO Group's activities in relation to the attacks we have described, is essential."

"While these spyware tools are developed in democracies, they continue to be sold to countries with notorious records of abusive targeting of human rights defenders."

jlr/mjs/hc

APPLE INC.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
CYBER WARS
Apple issues update after cyber weapon captured
San Francisco (AFP) Aug 26, 2016
Apple iPhone owners on Friday were urged to install a quickly released security update after a sophisticated attack on an Emirati dissident exposed vulnerabilities targeted by cyber arms dealers. Researchers at Lookout mobile security firm and Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said they uncovered a fierce, three-pronged cyber attack targeting a dissident's iPhone "that subverts even A ... read more


CYBER WARS
Space tourists eye $150mln Soyuz lunar flyby

Roscosmos to spend $7.5Mln studying issues of manned lunar missions

Lockheed Martin, NASA Ink Deal for SkyFire Infrared Lunar Discovery Satellite

As dry as the moon

CYBER WARS
Test for damp ground at Mars' seasonal streaks finds none

Fossilized rivers suggest warm, wet ancient Mars

China unveils 2020 Mars rover concept: report

MAVEN Spacecraft Gears Up to Observe Global Dust Storm on Mars

CYBER WARS
Chinese sci-fi prepares to master the universe

China opens longest glass bottom bridge in world

NASA Licenses New Auto-Tracking Mobile Antenna Platform

HERA crew returns paving the way for human research

CYBER WARS
China unveils Mars probe, rover for ambitious 2020 mission

China Ends Preparatory Work on Long March 5 Next-Generation Rocket Engine

China launches hi-res SAR imaging satellite

China launches world first quantum satellite

CYBER WARS
Astronauts Relaxing Before Pair of Spaceships Leave

'New port of call' installed at space station

US astronauts prepare spacewalk to install new docking port

Russia Could Cut Down International Space Station Crew

CYBER WARS
Kourou busy with upcoming Arianespace missions

Ariane 5 is approved for this week's Arianespace launch with two Intelsat payloads

Russian Space Corporation, US Boeing Reach Deal on Dispute Over Sea Launch

Two Intelsat payloads installed on Ariane 5 for next heavy-lift launch

CYBER WARS
A new Goldilocks for habitable planets

Venus-like Exoplanet Might Have Oxygen Atmosphere, but Not Life

Brown dwarfs reveal exoplanets' secrets

Scientists to unveil new Earth-like planet: report

CYBER WARS
A new generation of cheap networked nuclear-radiation detectors

New flexible material can make any window 'smart'

Unraveling the crystal structure of a -70C Celsius superconductor

UNIST to engineer next-generation smart separator membranes









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.