Israeli firm NSO Group tied to high-level hacks
A sweeping investigation found the names of world leaders, human rights defenders and journalists included on a leaked list of 50,000 alleged surveillance targets.
Military-grade spyware developed by Israeli cyber-surveillance company NSO Group has been used to successfully hack the smartphones of journalists, politicians, activists and business leaders, an investigation by a consortium of international media outlets said Sunday.
Using a leaked list of more than 50,000 cell phone numbers, journalists at 17 media outlets identified over 1,000 people across more than 50 countries who were selected as potential targets by NSO Group’s clients. They include more than 180 journalists from outlets including CNN, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, according to the media probe, which was published in coordination with Paris-based nonprofit Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International.
The report notes that without analyzing the devices, it’s impossible to know which of the 50,000 cell phone numbers were hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus software, which researchers say gives customers access to a phone’s contents and the ability to remotely access the camera and microphone. The investigation was able to confirm the attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones that appeared on the list.
The Israeli surveillance firm says it will investigate the potential human rights abuses revealed Sunday, but told The Assiciated Press that it has never maintained “a list of potential, past or existing targets.”
