Lee Ferran
While the exact number is likely classified, the head of the US government’s dedicated counterintelligence organization said that by now “nearly 100” nations have purchased advanced spyware designed to crack into cellphones, “and they’re using it.”
“I think what you see is an increasing number of countries investing in spyware, frankly, specifically targeted at cellphones and all that things we carry around with us and put information on,” said Michael Casey, head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). “Everyone knows about the NSO Group, but there are dozens of these companies.”
Casey said the tech is increasingly available not only to governments, but to non-state actors like criminal and ransomware groups — “whoever wants to use it and get on your phone.”
“And so this is an increasing threat, and [it’s] increasingly easy for people to use. Some of these products are plug and play,” he said in a Tuesday webinar put on by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.
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