Treasury targets Intellexa Predator Spyware executives with new sanctions

TLDR:

• The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on executives linked to the Intellexa Consortium for their involvement in the Predator spyware operation.
• The sanctioned individuals and entities include Felix Bitzios, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, Merom Harpaz, Panagiota Karaoli, Artemis Artemiou, and Aliada GroupInc.

Article Summary:

The U.S. Department of Treasury has announced sanctions against five executives and one entity associated with the Intellexa Consortium for their role in developing and distributing the Predator spyware. These individuals and entities have been linked to the supply of Predator to foreign governments, as well as facilitating transactions and managing consortium entities.

The Treasury described the Intellexa Consortium as a complex international network that developed invasive spyware products. The sanctions come after a resurgence of Predator spyware activity in countries like Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Saudi Arabia.

The development also follows recent legal actions, with Apple filing a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against NSO Group, citing potential risks to their efforts to combat spyware. The impact of these actions on the spyware market and emerging players remains to be seen.

Overall, the US Treasury’s actions against the executives linked to the Intellexa Predator spyware operation highlight the government’s commitment to protecting national security and privacy, while holding accountable those involved in the proliferation of exploitative technologies.