US blacklists Israeli firm NSO Group for use of spyware
Source: CNN
(CNN Business) — The US Commerce Department on Wednesday blacklisted Israeli firms NSO Group and Candiru, accusing the companies of providing spyware to foreign governments that "used these tools to maliciously target" journalists, embassy workers and activists.
Commerce officials added the Israeli firms to its so-called "entity list," effectively banning the companies from buying software components from US vendors without a license.
Also added to the list were Russian firm Positive Technologies and Singaporean firm Computer Security Initiative Consultancy. Commerce accused these two firms of trafficking "in cyber tools used to gain unauthorized access to information systems."
Taken together, it is one of the biggest steps yet by the Biden administration to curb the sale of hacking tools that analysts say have been used in human rights abuses around the world.
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By Sean Lyngaas, CNN Business
Updated 1805 GMT (0205 HKT) November 3, 2021
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/03/tech/nso-group-us-blacklist/index.html
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Commerce Adds NSO Group and Other Foreign Companies to Entity List for Malicious Cyber Activities
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has released a final rule adding four foreign companies to the Entity List for engaging in activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. The four entities are located in Israel, Russia, and Singapore.
NSO Group and Candiru (Israel) were added to the Entity List based on evidence that these entities developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used these tools to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers. These tools have also enabled foreign governments to conduct transnational repression, which is the practice of authoritarian governments targeting dissidents, journalists and activists outside of their sovereign borders to silence dissent. Such practices threaten the rules-based international order.
Positive Technologies (Russia), and Computer Security Initiative Consultancy PTE. LTD. (Singapore) were added to the Entity List based on a determination that they traffic in cyber tools used to gain unauthorized access to information systems, threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo released the following statement: “The United States is committed to aggressively using export controls to hold companies accountable that develop, traffic, or use technologies to conduct malicious activities that threaten the cybersecurity of members of civil society, dissidents, government officials, and organizations here and abroad.”
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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/03/tech/nso-group-us-blacklist/index.html
