By: Guardian
July 15, 2021
Researchers say web domains masquerading as activist, health and media groups are used by governments to hack targets
An Israeli company that sells spyware to governments is linked to fake Black Lives Matter and Amnesty International websites that are used to hack targets, according to a new report.
Researchers from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, who worked with Microsoft, issued a report on Thursday about the potential targets of Candiru, a Tel Aviv-based firm marketing “untraceable” spyware that can infect and monitor computers and phones.
One way the company’s spyware allegedly infects targets is through web domains, and the researchers found that the firm’s software was associated with URLs masquerading as NGOs, women’s rights advocates, activist groups, health organizations and news media. 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”.