"HackingTeam" Who they are, why their "hack" is important and what has happened so far,
Yesterday news broke : HackingTeam, a group of security experts based in Italy, had been "hacked". As a result, a file with more than 400 GB of confidential files had been present in some trackers BitTorent. In some of them even they refer to various clients, among which are the CNI or the police in the case of Spain. Below we summarize all that is known so far .
What is HackingTeam?
In recent years we have experienced many computer attacks and intrusions. One of the most notorious recent hacking was Sony , after which numerous confidential documents from Sony Pictures filtered and even some films that had not yet been released. Now we talk about a new attack on another less known company, HackingTeam, but that will certainly bring tail. Why? By providing services themselves that company.
According to the official website (now fall, but with a backup version available), HackingTeam provides "effective and easy to use technology to authorities and intelligence agencies around the world." In short: develop "security solutions" that serve to exploit vulnerabilities . It was founded in 2003 and again stress that according to them, have a team of over 50 professionals.
In 2013, The Verge published an interesting report on the origins of the company. According to his research, in 2001 two Italian Ettercap programmers created a software capable of executing attacks man-in-the-middle to grab passwords and other personal information. The police contacted them but not to stop them: they wanted to use their technology. A few years later joined David Vincenzetti (Telegraph newspaper published a complete profile on him in 2011) and in 2007 a major capital injection came. Wikileaks also had documents on them.
Wait ... I sound this name,
It is normal that you sound, yes. In 2014 they staged a controversy after The Citizen Lab, a blog developed by researchers at the University of Toronto, published their software was being used by Ethiopia to spy on journalists of Ethiopian Satellite Television Service, known for being very critical season with the local government. The Intercept was blamed for it a few days before, but since they refused HackingTeam . In March this year, researchers warned of another similar attack with the same objectives.
In a second part of his research, Citizen Lab published a comprehensive report on the Remote Control System that HackingTeam sold to one of its customers. They according explained, with this software you can "record Skype calls, capture passwords, emails, files and IM messages" in addition to "turn on the webcam on a telephone or microphone." Finally, in the third and final part they explained how they used several dataceters established in the United States to serve their tools to other foreign countries.
In his day, and in response to these accusations, from HackingTeam they ensured that, before offering his services to a client, decide whether it is appropriate that they have access to technology and reserve the right not to sell its software to agencies or authorities they can make use of it to "facilitate the abuse of human rights". In fact, they say that if they detect any of its members is abusing its programs, will automatically be suspended.
But why then sold their services to Ethiopia and other countries where human rights are not guaranteed? In fact, since 2013, HackingTeam among the services "Internet Enemies" according to Reporters Without Borders . They were accused, among other things, to spy on journalists in Morocco and United Arab Emirates. Somewhat paradoxically, the CEO of the company joked about who would fall over if leaked to Wikileaks how it worked "the most evil planet technology," in his words.
In a second part of his research, Citizen Lab published a comprehensive report on the Remote Control System that HackingTeam sold to one of its customers. They according explained, with this software you can "record Skype calls, capture passwords, emails, files and IM messages" in addition to "turn on the webcam on a telephone or microphone." Finally, in the third and final part they explained how they used several dataceters established in the United States to serve their tools to other foreign countries.
In his day, and in response to these accusations, from HackingTeam they ensured that, before offering his services to a client, decide whether it is appropriate that they have access to technology and reserve the right not to sell its software to agencies or authorities they can make use of it to "facilitate the abuse of human rights". In fact, they say that if they detect any of its members is abusing its programs, will automatically be suspended.
But why then sold their services to Ethiopia and other countries where human rights are not guaranteed? In fact, since 2013, HackingTeam among the services "Internet Enemies" according to Reporters Without Borders . They were accused, among other things, to spy on journalists in Morocco and United Arab Emirates. Somewhat paradoxically, the CEO of the company joked about who would fall over if leaked to Wikileaks how it worked "the most evil planet technology," in his words.
Who do they work then?
"We offer our software only to governments or government agencies. We do not sell our products to private individuals or businesses." To which specifically? it's a secret. Or well, it was because of all the leaked documents are invoices and customer lists with their assumptions . So we know, for example, that the INC may use their services and that the National Police at least used (shown with contract "Expired").
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