US and partner countries combat the misuse of commercial spyware
To counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware, the United States and some of its partner countries called for strict domestic and international controls.
Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued the joint statement.
Also, they said they would prevent the export of technology and equipment to end-users who might use them for “malicious cyber activities.” In addition, the countries agreed to share information on spyware proliferation and misuse, including identifying these tools more accurately.
US President Joseph Biden signed an executive order Monday aimed at curbing the malicious use of digital spy tools targeting U.S. citizens or government personnel around the globe.
Indeed, by placing new restrictions on U.S. government defense, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies purchasing decisions, the executive order intended to apply pressure on the secretive industry.
According to Reuters, an unknown attacker used sophisticated spyware developed by an Israeli company to target Apple Inc iPhones of at least nine U.S. State Department employees in 2021.
An official from the U.S. government said Monday that commercial hacking tools targeted at least 50 U.S. government employees in 10 countries.
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