This week’s revelations of a hack into Gamma Group International files momentarily revived the media’s hope for another story as big as the Ed Snowden revelations of 2013. But other than a few tidbits on pricing, thus far the media hasn’t uncovered anything that wasn’t already known, and little or nothing that will likely jeopardize the UK company’s future. Other than stray … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Cellphone Decision: Zero Effect on Legal Malware?
By yesterday afternoon, the U.S. law enforcement community was awash in news on the Supreme Court’s decision requiring a warrant to access a target’s cell phone data. Seems pretty clear cut, right? No warrant, no cell phone data. Well, it’s really not that simple. Big issues left unresolved: Whether the rule applies to any device with wireless capability, such as a laptop or … [Read more...]
Does Automated Cybersecurity Spell Doom for Zero Day Intrusion?
Ordinarily, C5IS doesn’t delve into cybersecurity matters. But with DARPA’s just-announced $2 million sweepstakes – the new Cyber Grand Challenge to create the first system that automates malware detection and removal – we’re making an exception. The day that devices can spot and eliminate Trojans on their own would be a black one for surveillance companies specializing in zero … [Read more...]
The Hacking Team
The Hacking Team is an Italian company founded in 2003 that specializes in “ethical hacking” — the practice of using software to place an agent on a suspect’s device and track and decrypt all communications in complete stealth mode, without the target ever knowing. The company’s flagship product “Galileo” is sold to governments only, and empowers law enforcement agencies to … [Read more...]