The Treasury Department has taken action against a Greece-based commercial spyware company, Intellexa Consortium, along with associated entities, for their involvement in developing and distributing spyware technology used to target U.S. government officials, journalists, and policy experts. This marks the first time the Treasury Department has sanctioned individuals and entities for the misuse of spyware.
The sanctioned entities, including Cytrox AD, Cytrox Holdings ZRT, and Thalestris Limited, were involved in the creation and distribution of a spyware package known as Predator. Predator enables unauthorized access to electronic devices through zero-click attacks, allowing for data extraction, geolocation tracking, and access to personal information without user interaction.
According to officials, the misuse of commercial surveillance tools poses a security risk to the United States and its citizens. The Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence emphasized the importance of establishing clear guidelines for the responsible development and use of such technologies while safeguarding human rights and civil liberties globally.
Reports from Amnesty International's Security Lab and the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab revealed instances of Predator being used to target high-profile individuals, including the president of the European Parliament, the president of Taiwan, and U.S. lawmakers. Investigations also uncovered the presence of Predator spyware in devices belonging to dissidents and activists in various countries.
Intellexa Consortium, led by former Israeli military officer Tal Dilian, was founded in 2019. Dilian and corporate specialist Sara Hamou, who provided managerial services to Intellexa, were among those sanctioned by the Treasury Department.
The Biden administration recently introduced a visa policy to impose restrictions on foreign individuals involved in the misuse of commercial spyware. The policy targets individuals who use spyware to target journalists, activists, dissidents, marginalized communities, or their family members, as well as those who profit from such activities.
