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New Report Says American Government Agencies Are Using Malware Similar To Banned...
source link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/23/05/31/2258214/new-report-says-american-government-agencies-are-using-malware-similar-to-banned-pegasus-spyware
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New Report Says American Government Agencies Are Using Malware Similar To Banned Pegasus Spyware
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A new report has revealed that a government agency in the US, namely the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), is allegedly using a spyware called Paragon Graphite that shares similarities with the notorious Pegasus spyware. From a report: Pegasus was sold off to the government and other law firms. Moreover, we saw the firm making plenty of purchases through the likes of hackers. The software tends to give in to exploitation that can be achieved through zero clicks, all thanks to the great skill of hackers. Moreover, such software can produce its target without any interaction. [...] New reports by the Financial Times stated how the American Government makes use of this technology as it can pierce all sorts of protections linked to modern-day smart devices. Similarly, it can evade various forms of encryption for messaging applications such as WhatsApp and harvest data thanks to the likes of cloud backups. And yes, it's very similar to its counterpart Pegasus in this ordeal.
For now, the DEA is awfully hushed on the matter and not releasing any more comments on this situation. But it did reveal how its agency ended up purchasing Graphite to be used by agencies in Mexico so they could curb the drug cartel situation. "According to four [industry figures], the US Drug Enforcement and Administration Agency is among the top customers for Paragon's signature product nicknamed Graphite," reports the Financial Times. "The malware surreptitiously pierces the protections of modern smartphones and evades the encryption of messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp, sometimes harvesting the data from cloud backups -- much like Pegasus does."
The report adds: "Congressman Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to the DEA in December asking for more details on the purchase. Mexico is among the worst abusers of NO's Pegasus which it bought nearly a decade ago.
Schiff wrote: "such use [of spyware] could have potential implications for US national security, as well as run contrary to efforts to deter the broad proliferation of powerful surveillance capabilities to autocratic regimes and others who may misuse them."
For now, the DEA is awfully hushed on the matter and not releasing any more comments on this situation. But it did reveal how its agency ended up purchasing Graphite to be used by agencies in Mexico so they could curb the drug cartel situation. "According to four [industry figures], the US Drug Enforcement and Administration Agency is among the top customers for Paragon's signature product nicknamed Graphite," reports the Financial Times. "The malware surreptitiously pierces the protections of modern smartphones and evades the encryption of messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp, sometimes harvesting the data from cloud backups -- much like Pegasus does."
The report adds: "Congressman Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to the DEA in December asking for more details on the purchase. Mexico is among the worst abusers of NO's Pegasus which it bought nearly a decade ago.
Schiff wrote: "such use [of spyware] could have potential implications for US national security, as well as run contrary to efforts to deter the broad proliferation of powerful surveillance capabilities to autocratic regimes and others who may misuse them."
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