Mexican Government Procures Mobile Malware on Condition

The government of Mexico recently used advanced software for surveillance of anti-graft groups, activists and journalists because of their endeavor towards publicizing the country's extremely infamous criminal cases, instances of exploitation of authority and corruption.

The top page of an American newspaper, dated June 19, reported about one examination by University of Toronto's Citizen Lab that shows how 12 people comprising human rights activists, anti-corruption fighters and renowned journalists were victimized through spying software sold only to a large number of countries' governments. The software at first was used for monitoring terrorist/criminal gangs.

Pegasus - name of the software- is the creation of NSO Group an Israeli company for infecting mobile phones for intercepting electronic mails, contacts and other messages. The software also utilizes a device's camera and microphone for keeping watch of people owning the said devices. Knightcenter.utexas.edu posted this, June 19, 2017.

Once contaminated the cell-phone is subsequently configured for intercepting sound as well as starting off the video of that device. The malware operators use another tactic that of dispatching disturbing personal messages consisting of raw accusations and taunts related to things sexual; pledges of spouse's or partner's nude photos; false tales of affairs leaked along with exposed sexual videos; and death news about family members.

Former politician Gerardo Priego, ex-member of National Action Party the country's right-leaning political party states that Mexico has had many spying instances previously. There's constant leakage of private conversations of politicians, so people involved in election campaigns and politics make minimum communications through e-mails and cell-phones, knowing that somebody quite possibly is tapping the two mediums.

During 2015, a news report from Reuters revealed requests for surveillance by governments were speeding up within Mexico. This therefore led to worries of omission inside a country inflicted with conflicts among criminal gangs and the security forces chasing them, besides rampant corruption. Software developer NSO Group offers its surveillance program to governments provided it's utilized solely against criminal gangs. According to The Times, the Mexican government bought NSO Group's spyware for some $80m on the promise of using it solely for investigating terrorists and criminals.

» SPAMfighter News - 6/22/2017