U.S. Rolls Out Strict Rules for Commercial Spyware Use, Amidst Rash of Hacks
upstart writes:
U.S. Rolls Out Strict Rules for Commercial Spyware Use, Amidst Rash of Hacks:
The new regulation allows the government to ban a particular vendor's spyware from being used by agencies, if the company's product is found to have contributed to human rights violations, has been used to target U.S. citizens, or has been wielded against activists or journalists. In essence, the government is using its presence as a major consumer of defense and security products as a cudgel to encourage surveillance firms to behave or face blacklisting.
The announcement comes amidst revelations that more U.S. officials have been targeted by spyware than previously believed. On the same day that the executive order was announced, a senior US administration staffer told reporters that as many as 50 American officials are suspected or confirmed to have been targeted by commercial spyware in recent years. Previous reporting on this subject has focused on a handful of diplomats in foreign countries who had allegedly been targeted for surveillance. The new tally shows that, in reality, the imprint of foreign campaigns aimed at U.S. officials may be much broader.
"Commercial spyware - sophisticated and invasive cyber surveillance tools sold by vendors to access electronic devices remotely, extract their content, and manipulate their components, all without the knowledge or consent of the devices' users - has proliferated in recent years with few controls and high risk of abuse," the White House's announcement reads. "The proliferation of commercial spyware poses distinct and growing counterintelligence and security risks to the United States, including to the safety and security of U.S. Government personnel and their families."
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