Spieware firm cuts Italy’s reach after alleged targeting of workers – reports
A Israeli spyware company has allegedly cut access to its customers in Italy that its product was used to target the Italian government critics.
The move last week, WhatsApp alleged that spyware made by Paragon Solutions was used to target 90 WhatsApp users in two dozen countries, including journalists and members of the civil society.
The Italian government on Wednesday confirmed in a statement that seven mobile phone users of the country were targeted by spyware on WhatsApp, the incident called “particularly serious”.
The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied any participation and asked the National Cyber Security Agency (ACN) of Italy to look into the matter.
The BBC has reached Paragon Solutions and Italian government for remarks.
Three of the three targeted three targeted three have come forward in Italy: Francesco cancelato, a investigative journalist, Hussam L. Gomti, a critic of Italy’s participation in Libya, and the founder of an Italian NGO, Luka Kaisarini who assists migrants.
According to the report Mentor And HaretzParagon has now abolished his relationship with its customers in Italy. Those customers are asked to include an intelligence agency and a law enforcement agency.
Paragon solutions work exclusively with state bodies. Its major product is known as graphite, and enables users to make a full access to the target phone. It says that the product is to be used to deal with crime.
The company is seen as a contestant of the NSO group, which produces spyware Poet’s enthusiasm,
WhatsApp first reported the alleged spyware campaign last week.
A WhatsApp spokesperson told BBC News that he had “disrupted a spyware campaign … which was targeted by many users which included journalists and members of the civil society”.
The statement said, “This is the latest example why spyware companies should be kept accountable”. “WhatsApp will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately.”
The identity of other persons allegedly targeted in the spyware campaign is not yet public.
Italy said that it was told by WhatsApp that those targeted people have phone numbers with sub -units of countries including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Belgian, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany and Netherlands Were.
A WhatsApp spokesperson told the Reuters News Agency that malicious documents were sent to targeted persons, who did not require any user interaction to compromise their devices, a so -called zero click hack.
