The seller spyware Hacking Team hacked … – Le Monde

Le Monde | 07/06/2015 at 15h32 • Updated 06/07/2015 at 21:20 | By Florian Reynaud

Hacking Team, an Italian company that sells computer monitoring and spy tools in the world, suffered a hacking Sunday, July 5, which would have led to theft 400 gigabytes of confidential data. This mass flight contain emails and internal documents and source code of several software designed by the company. Hacking Team asked urgently to all its customers not to use its main named Galileo spyware, according to the specialized site Motherboard.

The Twitter account of the company has also been hacked and broadcast links to the stolen documents, as well as emails screenshots. The account name was changed from Twitter Hacking Team (“Team pirates”) to “Hacked Team” (“pirated Team”). The Twitter account of Christian Pozzi, one of the security officials of the company, was also hacked, and his account is now inaccessible.

Through its activities, Hacking Team does not have the best reputations. The association Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has even ranked in the 2013 edition of the “Internet enemies.” “The Italian firm Hacking Team itself describes its technology as” offensive “. The company was blamed for sales in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. According to the company Hacking Team, the Remote Control System [Company Spyware], called DaVinci with modesty, is able to break the encryption used for emails, files and VOIP protocols [Internet telephony] “, says RSF document.

The latest version of Remote Control System (RCS), named “Galileo” is presented by Hacking Team as “hacking suite for governmental interception” . RCS can infect the majority of operating systems (Windows, Android, OSX, iOS …), be it a computer or mobile phone. Hacking Team ensures that its spyware is undetectable by antivirus. RCS can then record Skype conversations, steal emails, SMS or even encryption keys used for exchanging confidential information. The company ensures that it verifies that the tools are never used against journalists, humanitarian workers or for any purpose constitutes a violation of human rights.

Several reports of the Russian computer security company Kaspersky and researchers from Citizen Lab (linked to the University of Toronto) said that Hacking Team selling surveillance solutions to dictatorships and oppressive governments. In 2012, computers Moroccan citizen journalists have for example been infected with spyware suspected to have been designed by the company.

“We are extremely careful to whom we sell our products . Our investors have set up a legal committee which continually advise us on the status of each country with which we come into contact “, had assured the CEO of Hacking Team, David Vincenzetti, in an interview in 2011 with journalist Ryan Gallagher (now an investigative reporter for The Intercept) . “The committee considers the UN resolutions, international treaties and recommendations of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International” , he added.

An expert from the Electronic Frontier Foundation activist association published on Monday, July 6 Twitter a list of alleged customers of Hacking Team, issue of documents stolen from the company, including many police services but also to information.

According to the document, the company sold its unofficially services to intelligence services and the Saudi Ministry of Defense, but also to the Russian intelligence service, the Ministry of Defence and Sudanese secret services. Another document indicates that flew Hacking Team has charged a EUR 480 000 contract to Sudan, even as the United Nations (UN) imposes an embargo on arms sales and “Related Materials” in Sudan. Hacking Team had also denied any business relationship with Sudan. Among the customers always supposed contract, there is also Turkey, Thailand, the United States, Spain, Nigeria, Australia but also many clients in Mexico.

On his account Twitter, now removed, Christian Pozzi responded Monday morning to the publication of documents. “Much of what hackers say about our company is false. Thank you not to spread false information about the services we offer, “, he tweeted. “We are working closely with the police” , he assured.