Apple plans to notify targets of state-sponsored spyware attacks like NSO's ForcedEntry and commits $10M to cybersurveillance researchers and advocates
this is a good day to celebrate the formidable impact of @RonDeibert @jsrailton & the @citizenlab research team, systematically exposing human rights abuses and holding the industry accountable https://twitter.com/... Edward Snowden / @snowden : Software giants who have seen the commercial malware targeting their users should look at this as a template for imposing consequences on this predatory industry. The “business” of human-rights-violations-as-a- service must be stamped out—before it grows. https://www.apple.com/... https://twitter.com/... Dennis / @dennisf : This is the OPENING LINE of @apple's suit against NSO: “Defendants are notorious hackers—amoral 21st century mercenaries who have created highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse.” John Scott-Railton / @jsrailton : 11/ It would take a huge internal effort for a massive company to undertake any one of these: ✔Lawsuit ✔Victim Notification ✔Attribution ✔Civil society support. @apple did it all at once. There are unsung heroes in this story. Complaint: https://www.apple.com/... Runa Sandvik / @runasand : @Laughing_Mantis @juanandres_gs I'd love to see this happen. Profdeibert / @rondeibert : Apple commends the work of @AmnestyTech and @citizenlab, and notes that our disclosure of FORCEDENTRY (in this report https://citizenlab.ca/...) was critical to hunting down NSO's abuses of their infrastructure. https://twitter.com/... John Scott-Railton / @jsrailton : 8/ I see @Apple's lawsuit as partly triggered by findings & efforts of so many of our @citizenlab peers: E.g. @AmnestyTech @accessnow @RSF_inter @EFF @pressfreedom @R3Dmx @article19org & many more. Most importantly though: the victims that bravely came forwards. Here's why... Greg Linares / @laughing_mantis : @juanandres_gs How about blue teams who manage large amounts of assets with high levels of risk from state-sponsored and similar attacks? Would be absolutely great to get a direct line from Apple for threats similar to what Microsoft has had for years Runa Sandvik / @runasand : Great to see Apple recognize all the NSO research by @citizenlab and @AmnestyTech with words, funding, and collaboration. 🍎⚒️ https://www.apple.com/... Tavis Ormandy / @taviso : @runasand ... Apple always use the same strategy when security research is involved: “Promise everything, deliver nothing”. Chris Vickery / @vickerysec : @KimZetter I want to see a concrete list of identified individuals who were employed at and by NSO as a result of this suit (if Apple succeeds). Those individuals should not be allowed to simply set up shop under different company names or continue this kind of work elsewhere. John Scott-Railton / @jsrailton : 9/ The FORCEDENTRY zero-click exploit is prominently mentioned @apple's lawsuit. It was discovered when a spyware victim let us check their phone. This is as it should be: targets of dictatorial surveillance contributing to fighting back & helping protect us all. https://twitter.com/... @rasha_abdul : 🚨 HUGE news (again) - @Apple sues NSO Group to curb the abuse of state-sponsored spyware and announces a $10 million contribution to support cybersurveillance researchers and advocates. Cites the work of @AmnestyTech & @citizenlab 🙏🏽https://www.businessw ire.com/ ... #PegasusProject https://twitter.com/... Kim Zetter / @kimzetter : Never seen anything like this. Apple sues Israeli spy firm NSO Group for hacking Apple devices. “seeks to ban NSO...from further harming individuals by using Apple's products....also seeks redress for...flagrant violations of US federal and state law” https://www.apple.com/... Arvind Gunasekar / @arvindgunasekar : Apple sues NSO Group (Pegasus) to curb the abuse of state-sponsored spyware. “Apple is notifying the small number of users that it discovered may have been targeted by FORCEDENTRY” https://www.apple.com/... @marwasf : HUGE news! Apple today filed a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company to hold it accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users with its Pegasus spyware. https://www.apple.com/...
BREAKING NOW: @Apple just filed a major lawsuit against NSO Group. Apple also notifying some recent targets. Massive blow to the company notorious for selling spyware to dictators. And there's more... Explainer THREAD. 1/ https://www.apple.com/... https://twitter.com/...
4/ Notifying NSO victims is another major step. After @WhatsApp, Apple is the 2nd major company to do so. ✅Helps victims recognize what's going on ✅puts NSO's government customer base on notice: their abuses might be exposed next. https://twitter.com/...
🆕 Apple just filed a fascinating lawsuit against NSO group. 🧵below by @jsrailton — this is a good day to celebrate the formidable impact of @RonDeibert @jsrailton & the @citizenlab research team, systematically exposing human rights abuses and holding the industry accountable htt…
Software giants who have seen the commercial malware targeting their users should look at this as a template for imposing consequences on this predatory industry. The “business” of human-rights-violations-as-a- service must be stamped out—before it grows. https://www.apple.com/..…
This is the OPENING LINE of @apple's suit against NSO: “Defendants are notorious hackers—amoral 21st century mercenaries who have created highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse.”
11/ It would take a huge internal effort for a massive company to undertake any one of these: ✔Lawsuit ✔Victim Notification ✔Attribution ✔Civil society support. @apple did it all at once. There are unsung heroes in this story. Complaint: https://www.apple.com/...
Apple commends the work of @AmnestyTech and @citizenlab, and notes that our disclosure of FORCEDENTRY (in this report https://citizenlab.ca/...) was critical to hunting down NSO's abuses of their infrastructure. https://twitter.com/...
8/ I see @Apple's lawsuit as partly triggered by findings & efforts of so many of our @citizenlab peers: E.g. @AmnestyTech @accessnow @RSF_inter @EFF @pressfreedom @R3Dmx @article19org & many more. Most importantly though: the victims that bravely came forwards. Here's why...
@KimZetter I want to see a concrete list of identified individuals who were employed at and by NSO as a result of this suit (if Apple succeeds). Those individuals should not be allowed to simply set up shop under different company names or continue this kind of work elsewhere.
@juanandres_gs How about blue teams who manage large amounts of assets with high levels of risk from state-sponsored and similar attacks? Would be absolutely great to get a direct line from Apple for threats similar to what Microsoft has had for years
Great to see Apple recognize all the NSO research by @citizenlab and @AmnestyTech with words, funding, and collaboration. 🍎⚒️ https://www.apple.com/...
9/ The FORCEDENTRY zero-click exploit is prominently mentioned @apple's lawsuit. It was discovered when a spyware victim let us check their phone. This is as it should be: targets of dictatorial surveillance contributing to fighting back & helping protect us all. https://twitter.…
🚨 HUGE news (again) - @Apple sues NSO Group to curb the abuse of state-sponsored spyware and announces a $10 million contribution to support cybersurveillance researchers and advocates. Cites the work of @AmnestyTech & @citizenlab 🙏🏽https://www.businessw ire.com/ ... #PegasusProj…
Never seen anything like this. Apple sues Israeli spy firm NSO Group for hacking Apple devices. “seeks to ban NSO...from further harming individuals by using Apple's products....also seeks redress for...flagrant violations of US federal and state law” https://www.apple.com/...
Apple sues NSO Group (Pegasus) to curb the abuse of state-sponsored spyware. “Apple is notifying the small number of users that it discovered may have been targeted by FORCEDENTRY” https://www.apple.com/...
HUGE news! Apple today filed a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company to hold it accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users with its Pegasus spyware. https://www.apple.com/...