Students, behind a banner reading “15 minutes for 15 lives,” block a street in Belgrade on Dec. 12, standing in silence to honor the 15 victims of the tragedy that occurred at the railway station in Novi Sad in November. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) Amnesty International exposes Serbian police’s use of spyware on journalists, activists The comprehensive report showed how Serbian law enforcement combined Cellebrite’s tech with a novel Android-focused spyware program. Dec 16, 2024 By Tim Starks
Jessica Rosenworcel (L), Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr arrives to testify during a House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee hearing in 2022. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) FCC, for first time, proposes cybersecurity rules tied to wiretapping law The proposed rules are a response to Salt Typhoon’s breach of at least eight U.S. telecom companies. Dec 5, 2024 By Tim Starks
(Getty) How a Russian man’s harrowing tale shows the physical dangers of spyware Citizen Lab and a Russian exile-led human rights group investigated spyware implanted on his phone after he was detained, beaten up and released. Dec 5, 2024 By Tim Starks
Super Typhoon Yutu, strongest storm on Earth in 2018. Satellite view. Elements of this image furnished by NASA. Getty Images U.S. government says Salt Typhoon is still in telecom networks The United States and other Western nations released guidance Tuesday designed to evict the China-linked group in the wake of the high-profile hack. Dec 3, 2024 By Tim Starks
Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks on July 11 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images) Sen. Blumenthal wants FCC to get busy on telecom wiretap security rules The subcommittee chair said the FCC has the ability to act now in response to Salt Typhoon targeting the 2024 presidential campaigns. Nov 19, 2024 By Tim Starks
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on July 8. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Exclusive: Senator calls on Commerce to tighten proposed rules on exporting surveillance, hacking tech to problematic nations Ron Wyden, D-Ore., fears the regulations have a major loophole and don't cover enough repressive governments’ agencies. Oct 31, 2024 By Tim Starks
Houthi movement supporters brandish rifles, flags of Yemen and Palestine, Houthi emblems, and chant slogans as they participate in a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian people on June 28, 2024, in Sana’a, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images) Researchers catch Yemeni hackers spying on Middle East military phones The firm Lookout says that Houthi use of cyberespionage is a sign that mobile surveillance is a growing force in global conflicts. Jul 9, 2024 By Tim Starks
U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) speaks to reporters before a Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) FISA reauthorization heads to Biden’s desk after Senate passage A two-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act clears the chamber in a 60-34 vote Saturday. Apr 20, 2024 By Tim Starks
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on March 22, 2022. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) With a mysterious surveillance target identified, calls for Congress to change course Civil liberties advocates want to narrow the scope of an amendment to a controversial surveillance law. Apr 17, 2024 By Tim Starks
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) (C) talks with committee members Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) (L) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) while hearing testimony from former Special Counsel Robert Hur in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) House passes extension of expiring surveillance authorities Just days ago, lawmakers voted against even allowing a debate on an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Apr 12, 2024 By Tim Starks