Israeli ad-tech firm helped place spyware on Al Jazeera devices

Citizen Lab investigation says dozens of Al Jazeera devices were infected by malware planted through s.Israeli advertising technology company Discover-Tech helped place spyware on dozens of devices used by Al Jazeera and other companies.Al Jazeera Media Network on Thursday said it “condemns the targeting of devices belonging to several of its employees with spyware” and pledged to continue to “protect its employees and systems”.The network said targeting journalists is an “assault on press freedom and the public’s right to knowledge” and called for those responsible to be held accountable.A Citizen Lab investigation, prompted by Al Jazeera’s initial internal probe into the issue, has confirmed that spyware from Candiru, an Israeli spyware firm blacklisted by the United States government in 2021 for its malicious cyber activities, was planted on these devices, using the first-known instance of “zero-click” targeted advertising.The nature of installing this spyware means that once an infected appears on a device, that device, too, is infected – spying on, and feeding, all the data and information available on that platform to those stealing it.The malicious software is designed to collect a wide range of sensitive data, including files, documents, and browser data such as cookies, bookmarks, and saved credentials. It can also capture keystrokes, take screenshots, record microphone and webcam input, and extract emails and messages from popular communication platforms.To avoid triggering security mechanisms, the spyware often uses encrypted communication channels and breaks up stolen data into smaller chunks sent over time.