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US State Department phones hacked with NSO Group spyware


The State Department is in the process of trying to figure out who had access to the hacked documents on these phones and how the hack happened, the US official said. It’s possible that situation was the result of American employees receiving new iPhones and the Pegasus spyware that remained on the devices even after they wiped them, the official added.

The State Department investigation is an indication that the thriving market for hacking tools sold by private companies is increasingly becoming a threat not only to human rights but also to security. country of the United States.

The Commerce Department last month listed NSO Group and another Israeli spyware company, Candiru, accusing companies that provide spyware to foreign governments of “using these tools to target maliciously targeted” journalists, embassy staff and activists.

According to security researchers, NSO Group’s main spyware product, called Pegasus, is capable of remotely infecting cell phones and eavesdropping on calls or text messages.

The State Department is communicating with Apple Inc about the situation, the official said.

Reuters first report into the investigation.

The State Department would not confirm the phone was hacked.

“While we cannot confirm it, the Department generally takes its responsibility to protect information seriously and continuously takes steps to ensure it is protected,” a State Department spokesperson said. . “Like any large organization with a global presence, we closely monitor cybersecurity conditions and continuously update our security posture to adapt to our adversary’s changing tactics. “

A spokesman for the National Security Council said “the Biden administration is deeply concerned that commercial spyware like NSO Group software poses a serious counterintelligence and security risk to US personnel.” , said a spokesman for the National Security Council, pointing to recent additions to the Treasury Department’s list of institutions. The spokesperson said there is also a government-wide effort to pursue commercial hacking tools.

US blacklist Israeli company NSO Group for using spyware

A spokesperson for NSO Group said that when the company became aware of the incident, it “decided to immediately terminate the relevant customer’s access to the system, due to the seriousness of the allegations.”

“Up to this point, we have not received any information nor a phone number, nor any indication that NSO tools were used in this case,” the statement said. NSO Group continued. “In addition to the independent investigation, NSO will cooperate with any relevant government agencies and present the full range of information that we will have.”

It is not clear who used the spyware to target the phones of State Department employees.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

Apple and other US technology companies have been increasing pressure on NSO Group for alleged violations of human rights and privacy – charges the company denies.

Apple sued NSO Group last month for allegedly violating federal anti-hacking laws by selling Pegasus to customers, who allegedly used the software to spy on Apple customers. In a later statement, NSO Group did not directly address the lawsuit but said the company provided “legitimate tools” to fight terrorists and criminals.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab which has investigated NSO spyware, says that the latest revelation is about allegedly targeting people’s phones. The State Department says its Department of Diplomatic Security needs to do more to protect those devices.

Scott-Railton told CNN: “NSO has been a clear national security threat for years, and the fact that these breaches happened and Apple had to make the announcement, shows that the threat is This has not been taken seriously.”

Earlier this week, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Uganda, Norbert Mao, said he had received notice from Apple that his phone had been targeted.

“When you wake up to a threatening message from @Apple that your phone is being targeted, you know that cyber-terrorism from state-sponsored cyber-terrorists is real,” he said. tweeted.

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