US imposes sanctions on spyware company Intellexa

The US Department of the Treasury has announced its decision to impose sanctions on the Greece-based company Intellexa, which created the Predator spyware.

The statement noted that Intellexa, along with 2 associated individuals and 5 entities, have been added to the sanctions list, stating that these individuals and companies "engaged in the development, operation, and distribution of spyware that targets US citizens, including government officials and journalists."

The statement further indicated that Tal Jonathan Dilian, identified as the founder of Intellexa and a former member of the Israeli military, has been added to the sanctions list, and that sanctions have also been imposed on Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, who provided management services to the company.

The statement reported that other entities added to the sanctions list include the Ireland-based Intellexa Limited and Thalestris Limited, which have ties to Intellexa, as well as the North Macedonia-based Cytrox AD and the Hungary-based Cytrox companies.

PREDATOR SPYWARE

It is noted that Predator, developed by Intellexa, was designed by modeling it after Pegasus, a spyware developed by the Israeli software firm NSO that has been identified as being used in 45 countries.

Like many other spyware programs, Predator infiltrates devices when users click on links sent to smartphones via email or text message.

The person who clicks the link is secretly redirected to a separate link over the internet, which installs Predator on their phone without their knowledge. Through Predator, which does not appear as installed on the device, access can be gained to a vast amount of information, including the phone's call logs.

The Predator spyware came to the fore after it was detected on the mobile phone of Greek journalist Thanasis Koukakis in April 2022.

Reports in the Greek press alleged that the phones of numerous prominent politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, and business people, including former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and the then-Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, had been wiretapped.

News Source: AA