September 17, 2024 at 09:46AM
The US extends sanctions to five individuals and a company connected to Intellexa, a spyware developer. Intellexa’s Predator spyware enables unauthorized access to calls, messages, GPS, and more on iOS and Android devices. The commercial spyware market is worth $12 billion, with Intellexa’s package priced at €8 million. Apple drops plans to sue NSO Group over Pegasus spyware.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. The US is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies with ties to spyware developer Intellexa, in an effort to combat the proliferation of exploitative technologies and protect national security.
2. Intellexa’s Predator spyware, similar to NSO Group’s Pegasus, poses a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties, with compromised access to phone calls, messages, GPS data, and device’s microphone and camera.
3. Sanctioned individuals include Greek businessman Felix Bitzios, senior executive Merom Harpaz, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, Panagiota Karaoli, and Artemis Artemiou, with ties to Intellexa and its affiliated companies responsible for developing and distributing Predator spyware.
4. The United States aims to discourage the reckless propagation of disruptive technologies through accountability measures, while encouraging responsible technology development that aligns with international standards.
5. The commercial spyware market, including products like Predator and Pegasus, is valued at approximately $12 billion annually and is experiencing significant growth. The purchase price for Predator, equipped with exploit chains leveraging zero-day vulnerabilities, was €8 million ($8.9 million).
6. Apple has decided to drop its plan to sue NSO Group, expressing concerns about exposing sensitive details during the litigation that could potentially harm the broader cybersecurity community.
7. NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware utilized the FORCEDENTRY exploit to infiltrate iOS devices, requiring no interaction from the victim for installation, and this decision by Apple aims to protect its anti-spyware protections from potential workarounds developed by the commercial spyware ecosystem.