Security News > 2021 > November > US sanctions NSO Group and three others for spyware and exploit sales

The U.S. has sanctioned four companies located in Israel, Russia, and Singapore for the development of spyware or the sale of hacking tools used by state-sponsored hacking groups.

Israeli companies NSO Group and Candiru are being sanctioned for creating and selling spyware used to target journalists and activists.

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is adding the four companies to the Entity List tomorrow, November 4th, preventing the export, reexport, or transfer of the sanctioned company's products or services.

Israeli spyware companies NSO Group and Candiru have been added to the Entity List for supplying software used to spy on government officials, journalists, and activists.

"Specifically, investigative information has shown that the Israeli companies NSO Group and Candiru developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used this tool to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers," reads the Department of Commerce's final ruling to the Export Administration Regulations.

"The United States is committed to aggressively using export controls to hold companies accountable that develop, traffic, or use technologies to conduct malicious activities that threaten the cybersecurity of members of civil society, dissidents, government officials, and organizations here and abroad," shared U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo regarding these new sanctions.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-sanctions-nso-group-and-three-others-for-spyware-and-exploit-sales/