Israeli spyware firm provided software to hack ArmeniansJuly 17, 2021 - 13:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An Israeli company that sells spyware is linked to fake websites that are used to hack targets, including in Armenia, according to a new report from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto and Microsoft. Candiru is a secretive Israel-based company that sells spyware exclusively to governments. Reportedly, their spyware can infect and monitor iPhones, Androids, Macs, PCs, and cloud accounts. However, Microsoft notes that the identification of victims of the malware in a country doesn’t necessarily mean that an agency in that country is the offensive actor customer, as international targeting is common. As part of their investigation, Microsoft observed at least 100 victims in Palestine, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Spain, United Kingdom, Turkey, Armenia, and Singapore. Victims include human rights defenders, dissidents, journalists, activists, and politicians. One way the company’s spyware infected targets was through web domains, and the researchers found that the firm’s software was associated with URLs masquerading as major NGOs, such as the Black Lives Matter and Amnesty International. Citizen Lab’s research uncovered websites tied to Candiru with domain names such as “Amnesty Reports”, “Refugee International”, “Woman Studies”, “Euro News” and “CNN 24-7”. In Armenia, for instance, a fake website was created to impersonate Armenpress, the country's state news agency. Microsoft said in a blogpost on Thursday, July 15 that it had disabled the “cyberweapons” of Candiru and built protections against the malware, including issuing a Windows software update. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |