Spy software company admits the attack: “Situation outside … – BBC

hacking team

Milan , July 9, 2015 – 11:36

     
     
 

La Hacking Team headquarters at Via della Moscova (Frame)

“We have lost the ability to control who uses our technology. Terrorists, extortionists and others can implement it at will. We believe it is an extremely dangerous situation, it is now evident that there is a serious threat. ” It is what is permitted in an official statement by Hacking Team, whose archives were breached by mysterious hackers (the action was not claimed). “Before the attack we could not control who had access to our technology. Now, because of the work of criminals, we have lost the ability to control who uses it, “explained the Italian company that sells software-spy to governments around the world, suffered a heavy hacker attack on July 6.

Contain the damage

“We are considering whether it is possible to contain the damage – has clarified yet Hacking Team – our engineers are working apace to upgrade our Remote Control System software that allows customers to get information and intelligence on criminals. Our customers have suspended the use of this system has been compromised by the attack. It is an important step to protect information and investigative police. ”

The background

It is not the first time that the company Hacking Team ends up in the spotlight. In early November of 2013 the office in Via della Moscova 13 in Milan, was attacked by a group of antagonists who wrote on the facade of the building this sentence: “We control the lives, steal our future.” Next to the phrase was painted with red paint draws a “V” inside a circle, a symbol used by the galaxy of the dispute in reference to the movie “V for Vendetta.” The company was attacked because in those days the British daily The Guardian published the report of the NGO “Privacy International” in which the Milan company appeared together with 337 other companies around the world that would sell systems espionage in 35 countries. The Hacking Team has always reiterated to supply products to fight crime and refused to sell to the countries covered by the blacklist NATO. However, some digital rights groups, such as “Electronic Frontier Foundation” and the “Citizen Lab” of Toronto, have accused of distributing their products in countries like UAE, Morocco and Sudan. This figure is confirmed by its own dossier published by the Guardian , that the company would provide software to Morocco.

9 July 2015 | 11:36

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