Not all, or even most, of Hacking Team’s customers are associated with political repression.
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“HackingTeam combined its expertise in offensive security and software design to build a service that make simple to prepare and use exploits as installation vectors for RCS agents”, the document reads.
On Sunday, a massive load of stolen documents were uploaded to the Internet. Masters noted a few lessons that can be learned from the Hacking Team breach.
If the customer lists prove to be legitimate, however, this could land Hacking Team in extremely hot water with the high courts – as if mad government clients is not enough to cope with for one week.
Now, the hack on Hacking Team raises alarm regarding cyber security.
Although Hacking Team has previously denied allegations that it was offering its services to oppressive governments, the attackers behind this new hack may have evidence of the contrary.
But now there are documents that show the opposite.
Multiple packages had names with reference to Remote Control System (RCS), the main tool used for spying on targets.
When asked if this could be the work of one of Hacking Team’s competitors such as UK-based Gamma worldwide or Israeli NSO Group, Rabe said: “I think that is unlikely” though he admitted that just like everyone else he was speculating.
The DEA had spent $567,000 on a 2012 contract that remains valid until December 2015.
The Associated Press couldn’t immediately verify the authenticity of the leaked material. This led to speculation across Twitter that the company’s tools may have been used to frame targets, however, it is likely the code is simply part of a somewhat tasteless demo. But critics point to their abysmal records on human rights and fear the worst. In addition, all of Hacking Team’s software contains a watermark – which means operators and victims can potentially be traced.
But Hacking Team has always remained silent about its clientele.
One of the technology world’s most notorious providers of surveillance and intrusion software has found itself on the wrong end of an embarrassing hack. But now the tables have apparently been turned as the team’s private e-mails and other documents have been exposed online.
It is unclear who broke into Hacking Team. A hacker who goes by “Phineas Fisher” claims it was him (her? them?).
The Italian company, Hacking Team, or HT S.r.l., is among a handful of companies that offer such surveillance tools to law enforcement around the world.
But he did say: “Some of the information that is in the press today – and is reportedly based on these documents – is inaccurate”.
“Don’t believe all the false info [sic] the attackers are spreading, anyone can create adult links and upload them”, Pozzi said, responding to criticism by online activist group Anonymous. He tried to dissuade anyone from downloading the files, claiming they were infected with a computer virus.
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He has since deleted his Twitter account. At the time of writing, IBT has published an article that shows similar documents have surfaced in the United Kingdom like those alleged to be from Irish officials.
