So its not just the Russians.... wait, it's Israelis... wait wasn't it the US that famously tapped Ms. Merkel's cell phone ??
They ALL do it.
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Well, well the Israelis are acting as the biggest hackers and spying on anyone for cash. Looks like the real threats to national security and Global peace are, you guessed it, the Israelis.
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Having spent approximately 6 months in Dubai and gained an insight into how the society is structured and works I am most amused (in a sad resigned way) by this article.
It is a place of smoke and mirrors. Many people that you will meet (especially locals) are as they say in Texas.....”All hat and no cattle”.....
Perhaps the most amusing part is that the spyware comes from Israel.....if you try to access any website from the UAE with the .co.il ending you will be unsuccessful.....it is blocked!
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Let’s see if John le Carre wants to get into this mess… I think not (It’s too complicated even for his writing)! Hi tech spying might be his next literary venture.... na, that’s been done (in actuality, as we are reading in this article).
Their business model was an illegal activity. Which of course they advertised.
Advertising, "I'm a criminal, and more dangerous at it than anyone else."
That does not sound like a wise investment, nor a wise career choice.
The Emeratis’ use of the NSO Group’s spyware was first reported in 2016, when Ahmed Mansoor, the Emerati human rights advocate was targeted. His iPhone received a message promising "secrets" about torture happening in prisons in the UAE. Had he clicked, his phone would have been plundered. He didn't. Instead, he passed on the message to experts at Citizen Lab and Lookout, who then learned what they described as one of the most sophisticated cyber weapons ever discovered. With it came evidence that the NSO Group was behind the spyware, Pegasus.
Very little is known about NSO Group founded in 2010, which also has had several different names. The secretive Israel-based company is dubbed by security experts a cyber arms dealer. It has acknowledged that it sells tools to governments but has given very little details about who its customers are. Nor do they care. In 2015, the NSO Group’s owners - US-based venture capital firm Francisco Partners - were looking to sell the company at a price of around $1bn.
The lawsuits reveal how Israel benefits from the "political intrigues" among the Sunnis in the region. Once again it’s about religion, not the Shia/Sunni rivalry, but a faction among the Sunni Muslims – ideology vs pragmatism. Qatar is being punished by the Saudis and the Emeratis for embracing Muslim Brotherhood’s brand of Islam, which hugely differs from the strict Saudi salafism. And its ties to Iran is also a thorn in the Saudis’ side, driving Riyadh closer to Israel.
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What would Trump / Netanyahu say, if NSO wasn't Israeli but an Iranian company? They would call it international cyber terrorism and declare all options open for military action, "...so tough, the likes of which the world has not seen before".
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You can bet your last dollar that Israel uses NSO technology to spy on the US government. Israel has a long track record of selling our military technology to China and others.
The NSA should wipe out NSO. Defense of the USA is part of their mandate.
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It seems like a company found to be facilitating the actively targeting of governing officials for spying is walking a very very thin line.
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“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you.”
The IDF has an entire division dedicated to some of the most sophisticated digital surveillance that exists:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_8200?wprov=sfti1
Apparently, the associated skill set can be quite lucrative.
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Apple should view NSO as a criminal organization that hacks its proprietary system and invades the privacy of it’s users for terroristic purposes and thus should sue them into oblivion.
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The solution to this problem is simple: buy a used rotary-dial telephone. Not only is it hack-free, they generally sound much better than a smart phone, and the hand sets are much easier to cradle on your shoulder when you talk (the original 'hands free' mode).
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@W Try to connect that rotary phone to any modern telephone network.
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The problem in that part of the World is the lack of democracy. When countries are ruled by unelected officials whose ego supersedes the needs of the country, we have the situation we have in the Middle East now.
All these dictators with too much money in their hands instead of working to make the life of their fellow citizens better spent their time plotting to keep power or make themselves look bigger than they are.
Besides, why ask an Israeli firm to hack into their enemies, the UAE can just ask Mr. Kushner./Trump and they will do it better for less. They have always been doing it in Yemen where the Trump administration stays silent despite the fact that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are killing hundreds of children on a daily basis.
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If you're a government minister, a reporter or editor, or a human rights activist, then guess what? You need two phones: one for your personal stuff; the other for your work.
It's not rocket science. Don't mix work with the personal. Create a firewall. Separate email addresses for work and the personal. Separate websites. Separate clothes and shoes. Separate places of activity. Etc, etc.
Don't mix work with the personal. I've been advocating this strongly for the last half a century, but nobody takes any notice. Until they get burnt, most folks just can't be bothered.
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@Colenso
And then both phones would be hacked. How is this better?
It would be better to get one phone with better protections and learn to use the phone and apps that provide more secure communication options.
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@t bo To crack into your cell phone, the cracker must succeed in tempting/persuading you into clicking on a malware link, which downloads the spyware to your phone. Hence, you set your work phone up so that you can't do this. If you download spyware inadvertently to your personal phone, then it doesn't matter so much because all the important info is on your work phone.
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It's good someone is finally going after these guys -- like the arms trade, the amorality of those involved stands out.
You might also note that the leaked NSA documents some months ago showed that many U.S.-government made spy products were being sold (potentially in bulk) to other countries. And again, we have apparently only those countries' say-so that they would not be abused.
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1984 should be required reading, its "Big Brother is Watching You!" was absolutely prescient
It is shameful that such hacking can occur. Secure phones can be built, however the US Government does its best to forbids that.
The left and the right should join together on this issue and fight to secure our privacy. It is one of the few issues that should be non partisan.
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its obvious no state is being run by people or electorates , but behind the scenes spyware and maybe it is a blessing in disguise as it has prevented a world war 3 very effectively ,keep doing what you are doing ,I enjoy living my life thanks to the hard working spies , just don't misuse the powers too often please !
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“Illegal spying” has to be included in the ultimate definitions of “oxymoron!”
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