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Spyware
Cyber Attacks EU European Union Hacking Human rights Meduza Pegasus Pegasus Spyware Russian exiled journalist Spyware

Russian Exiled Journalist Says EU Should Ban Spyware


The editor-in-chief of the independent Russian news site Meduza has urged the European Union to enact a comprehensive ban on spyware, given that spyware has been frequently used to violate human rights.

According to Ivan Kolpakov, Meduza’s editor-in-chief based in Latvia, it was obvious that Europeans should be very concerned about Pegasus in light of the discoveries regarding the hacking of his colleague Galina Timichenko by an as-yet-unconfirmed EU country.

“If they can use it against an exiled journalist there are no guarantees they cannot use it against local journalists as well[…]Unfortunately, there are a lot of fans in Europe, and we are not only talking about Poland and Hungary, but Western European countries as well,” said Kolpakov.

Since last month, the European Commission has been working on guidelines for how governments could employ surveillance technologies like spyware in compliance with EU data privacy and national security rules since last month. Despite the fact that member states are responsible for their own national security, the Commission is considering adopting a position after learning that 14 EU governments had purchased the Pegasus technology from NSO Group.

Apparently, Timichenko was targeted by Pegasus in February 2023 when she was in Berlin for a private gathering of Russian media workers exile. The meeting's subject was the threats posed by the Russian government's categorization of independent Russian media outlets as foreign agents.

Taking into account the work that Timichenko deals with, Russia was first suspected; but, according to the digital rights organization Access Now, additional information suggests that one of the intelligence services of an EU member state — the exact one is yet unknown — is more likely to be to blame.

Allegedly, the motive behind the hack could be that numerous Baltic nations, to whom Russia has consistently posed a threat, are worried that a few FSB or GRU agents may have infiltrated their borders among expatriate dissidents and journalists.

“It may happen and probably it actually happens, but in my opinion, it does not justify the usage of that kind of brutal tool as Pegasus against a prominent independent journalist,” Kolpakov said.

Kolpakov believes that the revelations have left the exiled community feeling they are not safe in Europe. “This spyware has to be banned here in Europe. It really violates human rights,” he added.     

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Surveillance Tool
Cybersecurity Hackers Human rights Israel Malicious actor Ransomware Attacks. security measures Spyware Surveillance Tool

Israeli Cyber Firms Unveil Groundbreaking Spyware Tool


Israeli cybersecurity companies have made an unparalleled spyware tool available, which has shocked the whole world's computer sector. This new breakthrough has sparked discussions about the ethics of such sophisticated surveillance equipment as well as worries about privacy and security.

According to a recent article in Haaretz, the Israeli cyber industry has unveiled a cutting-edge spyware tool that has been dubbed InsaneT.This highly advanced technology reportedly possesses capabilities that make it virtually impervious to existing defense mechanisms. As the article states, "Israeli cyber firms have developed an insane new spyware tool, and no defense exists."

The tool's sophistication has caught the attention of experts and cybersecurity professionals worldwide. It has the potential to reshape the landscape of cyber warfare and espionage, making it both a remarkable achievement and a significant cause for concern.

The InsaneT spyware tool's capabilities remain shrouded in secrecy, but it is said to be capable of infiltrating even the most secure networks and devices, bypassing traditional security measures with ease. Its existence highlights the ever-evolving arms race in the world of cybersecurity, where hackers and defenders constantly vie for the upper hand.

While the Israeli cyber industry boasts about this technological breakthrough, ethical concerns loom large. The Register, in their recent report on InsaneT, emphasizes the need for a robust ethical framework in the development and deployment of such powerful surveillance tools. Privacy advocates and human rights organizations have already expressed their apprehension regarding the potential misuse of this technology.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, issues related to cyber espionage and surveillance gain prominence. The introduction of InsaneT raises questions about the balance between national security interests and individual privacy rights. Striking the right balance between these two conflicting priorities remains an ongoing challenge for governments and technology companies worldwide.

An important turning point in the history of cybersecurity was the appearance of the spyware tool InsaneT created by Israeli cyber companies. Considering the ethical and security ramifications of such cutting-edge technology, its unmatched capabilities bring both opportunities and risks, highlighting the necessity of ongoing discussion and international cooperation. Governments, corporations, and individuals must manage the complexity of cybersecurity as we advance in the digital era to ensure that innovation does not compromise privacy and security.


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User Privacy
Australia Charity Organisation Data Breach Data Leak Human rights User Privacy

Amnesty International Takes a While to Disclose the Data Breach From December

 

Amnesty International Australia notified supporters via email last Friday that their data might be at risk owing to "anomalous activity" discovered in its IT infrastructure. 

The email was sent extremely late in the day or week, but it was also sent very far after the behaviour was discovered. The email, which Gizmodo Australia saw, claims that the activity was discovered towards the end of last year. 

“As soon as we became aware of this activity on 3 December 2022, we engaged leading external cyber security and forensic IT advisors to determine if any unauthorised access to our IT environment had occurred,” Amnesty International Australia stated.

“We acted quickly to ensure the AIA IT environment was secure and contained, put additional security measures in place and commenced an extensive investigation.” 

Amnesty International said that while it took the organisation some time to notify its supporters of a security breach, the investigation is now complete and has revealed that an unauthorised third party temporarily got access to its IT system. 

“In the course of this investigation, we identified that some low-risk information relating to individuals who made donations in 2019 was accessed, but of low risk of misuse,” the organisation added. 

Although "low risk" information was not defined, it is clear from the security advice that it offered that the data is most likely name, email address, and phone number. Despite being satisfied that the information obtained through the breach won't be used inappropriately, Amnesty International Australia advised its supporters to "carefully scrutinise all emails," "don't answer calls from unknown or private numbers," and "never click on links in SMS messages or social media messages you are not expecting to receive." 

The breach only affected the local arm of the charity, according to Amnesty International Australia, and did not affect any other branches. The statement further stated that although the scope of the "information accessed in the cyber event" did not match the requirements or level for notification under the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme, Amnesty International Australia had decided to notify its supporters" in the interest of transparency".
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Illegal spying
COP27 Cyber Security Egypt Germany Human rights Illegal spying

Germany Accuses Egypt of Spying at COP27

 

German officials have lodged a complaint with the Egyptian government over covert surveillance by the country’s security agents at the COP27 World Climate Conference. 

According to the German Press Agency (DPA), the host country’s security agents have secretly monitored, photographed, and filmed events held at the German pavilion inside the summit venue in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh. 

Prior to the incident on November 12, German police warned its speakers of potential security threats that could arise from their participation at the conference. 

"We expect all participants in the U.N. climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions. This is not just true for the German but for all delegations, as well as representatives of civil society and the media," Germany's Foreign Ministry issued a statement following the security breach incident. 

Egypt Thwarts Spying Accusations 

Egyptian security sources thwarted the claims, telling DPA that personnel was only present for the safeguarding of foreign seminars and activities for the UN team, and their role as Egyptians was limited to security outside the halls and in the city. 

However, delegations from multiple nations told DPA that Egyptian security personnel had been forced on being a part of closed sessions as well. 

"It is very obvious that the Egyptian authorities are monitoring human rights activities. The only reason they haven't used physical violence yet is that we're in an UN-controlled area," Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian human rights organization EIPR, stated. 

The UN also acknowledged that some security agents were from the national police and said it was investigating the complaints.

Egypt's shady history 

The issue of Human rights has always been a matter of discussion in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government accused of holding a tight grip on the Middle East nation. 

According to multiple media reports, thousands of individuals, including human rights activists, journalists, students, opposition politicians, businesspeople, and peaceful protesters have been arbitrarily detained. 

Many dissenters are subjected to unfair trials and mistreatment or torture by the Egyptian government. Due to deplorable prison conditions, many have fallen sick and even died. To safeguard the rights of these individuals, neither Human Rights Watch (HRW) nor Amnesty has offices in Egypt. However, a ban on the HRW website, in place for years, was only lifted a few days ago.
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Privacy Breach
Cyber Law Digital Concentration Camp Human rights Internet censorship Privacy Privacy Breach

Digital Concentration Camp: Tech giants are playing God

Recent events in the United States have shown that the tech giants do not care about the constitution, this is a cause for concern.

There are situations when half a dozen people who have created their own technological empires do not even want to know what rights they have in their state. They determine their own rights on the basis of so-called "corporate norms" and do not respect the constitution of their states. We have seen this clearly in the United States. This, of course, a matter of serious concern.

In general, we are talking about the fact that several major multinational corporations - IT, media, pharmaceuticals, banks - plan to do what they want with people. As you know, the emergence of giant monopolies is a classic feature of any large-scale crisis of capitalism. Lenin wrote about this fascinatingly.

An excellent example of this was when Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram previously blocked Trump's accounts for various periods of time due to his statements about the riots in Washington on January 6.

According to Vladimir Shapovalov, a member of the board of the Russian Association of Political Science, Trump and his supporters were deprived of the freedom to vote, the right to receive and disseminate information. But such a right is fundamental.

Another example is how the largest American airline Delta blacklisted almost nine hundred passengers for their "Trumpism". In November, the same company denied its services for life to a passenger who shouted slogans in support of Trump.

It's interesting to note that on one decision to ban Trump, Zuckerberg's company lost 5% of its value. However, they don't seem to care at all about profit. Uber, Snapchat, and Tesla record losses year after year. All they are interested in is the most severe control of their consumers.

It is worth noting that on January 17, Naavi, a veteran Cyber Law specialist in India, became a victim of the injustice of the monopolies. He published an interesting article Union Bank and RSA Fiasco, where he shared his experience and expressed his opinion about what is happening. It all started with the fact that his site was groundlessly accused of hosting a phishing script. The article about Union bank, published on January 14, 2021, received a complaint from the RSA security service. This resulted in the Service provider M / S Square brothers has disabled not only the article page but the entire website www.naavi.org.

Readers in the comments advise Naavi to send a legal notice to RSA and UBI for defamation, DoS (disruption of legal rights) and various sections of the IT Act. The consensus among readers is that RSA and UBI consider themselves above the law and that they need to be made aware of their limits.

Moreover, even our E Hacking news portal has faced similar issue. The Cyber Security Company Comodo mistakenly marked the E Hacking news site as phishing. We even sent a false positive request from their website and also tried to contact them on their Twitter account. There was no reaction on their part.

Earlier, E Hacking news reported that a Russian IT company reportedly lost the contract in the USA because of serving sites with content from Trump supporters.

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