White House warns US companies interested in buying Israeli surveillance technology | US news
of Biden administration could prompt a reassessment of whether a U.S. acquisition of the Israeli NSO Group, which produces one of the world’s most sophisticated cyberweapons, poses a counterintelligence threat to the U.S. government. warned that there is
The National Security Council statement came after The Guardian reported that: Robert Simmons, Hollywood investor The company, known for producing several Adam Sandler movies, is considering a possible takeover of NSO’s assets, including its spyware Pegasus.
Simmons, who was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Luxembourg-based holding company that manages NSO, is considering ways to take over some of NSO’s assets, according to people familiar with the matter. . The person said he had privately discussed putting the NSO’s sought-after technology exclusively in the hands of the Five Eyes intelligence coalition, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In Israel, where NSO is heavily regulated by the Ministry of Defense, a takeover of the company’s assets would face significant hurdles. But it will also come under heavy scrutiny in the United States.
NSO to be blacklisted in US for 2021 – officially known as an entity list – Biden administration sells tools “to enable cross-border crackdowns by foreign governments,” including NSO malicious targeting of government officials, journalists, businessmen, activists, academics, and embassy officials. after announcing that they had found evidence of
The Guardian contacted the National Security Council to ask how the government would respond to the takeover of NSO assets by American citizens. An NSC spokeswoman said in a statement that the Biden-Harris administration remains concerned that the proliferation of tools like those created by the NSO Group poses “substantial counterintelligence and security risks to U.S. personnel and systems.” said.
“U.S. companies should be aware that a transaction with a foreign entity on the Entity List does not automatically remove the designated entity from the Entity List. It could prompt a review of whether it poses a counterintelligence threat to systems and information, whether other U.S. stocks could be at risk, and the extent of access foreign companies and governments have. We will control it,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the dark clouds hanging over the company, Pegasus remains a valuable asset. NSO’s spyware can hack and remotely control any phone without the user’s knowledge, and the company’s government customers can access targeted phone conversations, photos, location information, emails, including encrypted applications. will be able to access You can also turn any phone into a wiretapping device by remotely controlling the microphone.
Simmons is not a household name in the cyber industry. The American executive founded STX Entertainment and previously served as chairman, and is known to have favored investors from China and India, as well as trading in Saudi Arabia.
Simmons did not respond to a request for comment.
NSO said it sells spyware to government customers to combat serious crimes such as terrorism. The company said it is investigating credible allegations of abuse but has no control over how government customers use the surveillance tools it sells. The company also said it was investigating serious allegations of abuse by government customers and said it had blocked customers in the past.
When asked for a response to the NSC’s statement, an NSO spokesperson said: “NSO’s cyber technology has enabled governments to prevent serious crime and terrorist attacks around the world, including those of American citizens, saving countless lives. Today, many democracies, mainly in Western Europe, have rely on NSO’s cyber technology to keep their citizens safe.”
Summarize this content to 100 words of Biden administration could prompt a reassessment of whether a U.S. acquisition of the Israeli NSO Group, which produces one of the world’s most sophisticated cyberweapons, poses a counterintelligence threat to the U.S. government. warned that there isThe National Security Council statement came after The Guardian reported that: Robert Simmons, Hollywood investor The company, known for producing several Adam Sandler movies, is considering a possible takeover of NSO’s assets, including its spyware Pegasus.Simmons, who was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Luxembourg-based holding company that manages NSO, is considering ways to take over some of NSO’s assets, according to people familiar with the matter. . The person said he had privately discussed putting the NSO’s sought-after technology exclusively in the hands of the Five Eyes intelligence coalition, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.In Israel, where NSO is heavily regulated by the Ministry of Defense, a takeover of the company’s assets would face significant hurdles. But it will also come under heavy scrutiny in the United States.NSO to be blacklisted in US for 2021 – officially known as an entity list – Biden administration sells tools “to enable cross-border crackdowns by foreign governments,” including NSO malicious targeting of government officials, journalists, businessmen, activists, academics, and embassy officials. after announcing that they had found evidence ofThe Guardian contacted the National Security Council to ask how the government would respond to the takeover of NSO assets by American citizens. An NSC spokeswoman said in a statement that the Biden-Harris administration remains concerned that the proliferation of tools like those created by the NSO Group poses “substantial counterintelligence and security risks to U.S. personnel and systems.” said.“U.S. companies should be aware that a transaction with a foreign entity on the Entity List does not automatically remove the designated entity from the Entity List. It could prompt a review of whether it poses a counterintelligence threat to systems and information, whether other U.S. stocks could be at risk, and the extent of access foreign companies and governments have. We will control it,” the spokesperson said.Despite the dark clouds hanging over the company, Pegasus remains a valuable asset. NSO’s spyware can hack and remotely control any phone without the user’s knowledge, and the company’s government customers can access targeted phone conversations, photos, location information, emails, including encrypted applications. will be able to access You can also turn any phone into a wiretapping device by remotely controlling the microphone.Simmons is not a household name in the cyber industry. The American executive founded STX Entertainment and previously served as chairman, and is known to have favored investors from China and India, as well as trading in Saudi Arabia.Skip past newsletter promotionssign up for Guardian US headlinesFor US readers, we offer a regional edition of our daily email that delivers the most important headlines each morning.”,”newsletterId”:”today-us”,”successDescription”:”The Guardian Headlines US sent daily”}” clientOnly>Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content funded by external parties. For more information, see privacy policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google. privacy policy and terms of service application.After newsletter promotionSimmons did not respond to a request for comment.NSO said it sells spyware to government customers to combat serious crimes such as terrorism. The company said it is investigating credible allegations of abuse but has no control over how government customers use the surveillance tools it sells. The company also said it was investigating serious allegations of abuse by government customers and said it had blocked customers in the past.When asked for a response to the NSC’s statement, an NSO spokesperson said: “NSO’s cyber technology has enabled governments to prevent serious crime and terrorist attacks around the world, including those of American citizens, saving countless lives. Today, many democracies, mainly in Western Europe, have rely on NSO’s cyber technology to keep their citizens safe.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/29/israel-nso-surveillance-spyware-pegasus-simonds-biden-national-security White House warns US companies interested in buying Israeli surveillance technology | US news