Israel tightens cyber tech exports
JERUSALEM – Israel’s Defense Ministry on Monday announced that it’s tightening supervision over cyber exports in a move that follows a series of scandals involving Israeli spyware company NSO Group.
The ministry said the countries purchasing Israeli cyber technology would have to sign a declaration pledging to use the products “for the investigation and prevention of terrorist acts and serious crimes only.”
It said countries that violate the terms of use could be subject to sanctions, “including limiting the cyber system and/or disconnecting it.”
The announcement made no mention of NSO. But it came just days after it was revealed that 11 U.S. State Department employees were hacked with NSO spyware. The employees were located in Uganda and included some foreign service officers, said a person familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly.
It was the first known instance of NSO Group’s trademark Pegasus spyware being used against U.S. government personnel.
Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted NSO, barring the company from using U.S. technology. The blacklisting raised questions about NSO’S financial outlook and ability to survive, and the company acknowledged that it’s trying to reverse the decision.
Apple also sued NSO last week for its hacking of iphones and other Apple products, calling the Israeli company “amoral 21st century mercenaries.”