NSO offered 'bags of cash' for access to U.S. cell networks, whistleblower claims
Source: Washington Post
Rep. Ted Lieu asks the Justice Department to investigate after hearing the account of what he called ‘fishy’ behavior.
The surveillance company NSO Group offered to give representatives of an American mobile-security firm “bags of cash” in exchange for access to global cellular networks, according to a whistleblower who has described the encounter in confidential disclosures to the Justice Department that have been reviewed by The Washington Post.
The mobile-phone security expert Gary Miller alleges that the offer came during a conference call in August 2017 between NSO Group officials and representatives of his employer at the time, Mobileum, a California-based company that provides security services to cellular companies worldwide. The NSO officials specifically were seeking access to what is called the SS7 network, which helps cellular companies route calls and services as their users roam the world, according to Miller.
Surveillance companies try to access cellular communication networks to geolocate targets and provide other spying services. Cellular companies seek to prevent such intrusions by restricting access to the SS7 network and using firewalls to block computer queries that seek personal information on their customers.
Miller’s allegations are becoming public at a time when the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into NSO over allegations that its clients have illegally hacked phones and misused computer networks with the company’s technology, according to four people familiar with the probe who described elements of it on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not authorized for public disclosure. These people did not know what role, if any, Miller’s allegation is playing in that investigation or whether charges ultimately will be filed against NSO, which is based in Israel.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/01/nso-pegasus-bags-of-cash-fbi/
Read more: https://wapo.st/3GksIDR
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