Treasury Department says former Israeli military officer Tal Jonathan Dilian, who founded Intellexa in 2019, sanctioned
Diyar Güldoğan |05.03.2024 -
WASHINGTON
The US Treasury Department said Tuesday that it imposed sanctions against two people and a Greece-based commercial spyware company headed by a former Israeli military officer for targeting American officials.
"Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two individuals and five entities associated with the Intellexa Consortium for their role in developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology used to target Americans, including U.S. government officials, journalists, and policy experts," the agency said in a statement.
The two individuals include former Israeli military officer Tal Jonathan Dilian, who founded Intellexa in 2019.
Dilian's partner, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a corporate off-shoring specialist who has provided managerial services to Intellexa, was also sanctioned.
Other entities associated with Intellexa, including North Macedonia-based Cytrox AD, Hungary-based Cytrox Holdings Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag (Cytrox Holdings ZRT), Ireland-based Thalestris Limited, were sanctioned for developing and distributing a package of tools known as “Predator spyware, which can infiltrate a range of electronic devices through zero-click attacks that require no user interaction for the spyware to infect the device."
"Today’s actions represent a tangible step forward in discouraging the misuse of commercial surveillance tools, which increasingly present a security risk to the United States and our citizens," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson was quoted in the statement.
Separately, State Department's spokesman Matthew Miller said the US is sanctioning two individuals and five entities for developing, operating or distributing commercial spyware technology misused to target Americans, including officials, journalists and policy experts.
"We continue to promote guardrails that protect democratic values," Miller wrote on X.
US government slaps sanctions on notorious European spyware maker
Targeted Predator software was at heart of Greek political hacking scandal.
The move comes as part of international efforts to stop the proliferation of commercial spyware tools | Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images
MARCH 5, 2024
BY JOHN SAKELLARIADIS
The United States government on Tuesday unveiled sanctions on two individuals and five corporate entities tied to the Intellexa consortium, a network of European firms behind the sale of a widely used mobile surveillance software known as Predator.
Intellexa's Predator spyware allows hackers to gain full access to victim devices, including microphones, cameras, text messages, and apps. The software was at the center of a political hacking scandal that rocked Greek politics in 2022. Intellexa has sold Predator to Austria, Germany and Switzerland as well as to governments with histories of human rights abuses, such as Qatar, Congo, the UAE, Pakistan and Vietnam, Amnesty researchers said previously.
The U.S. Treasury Department action marks the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on a shadowy ecosystem of commercial spyware vendors based in Europe whose products have been used by foreign governments against dissidents — and against U.S. citizens. In July, the White House added two European firms with ties to the Intellexa consortium to a Commerce Department blacklist.
“This action also recognizes the challenge and threat to Americans of commercial spyware misuse globally, but also particularly in Europe,” said a senior administration official, who provided a briefing to reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity.
Intellexa has sprung up to fill the vacuum left by Israel’s NSO Group, the once-prolific spyware maker behind the Pegasus software that has been battered by tightening domestic export controls, foreign sanctions and public scrutiny.
The sanctions block any U.S. business dealings by and with two individuals and five organizations. On the list of individuals are Tal Dilian, a former Israeli general and the founder of Intellexa, and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a corporate off-shoring specialist, the Treasury Department said. The organizations include Greece-based Intellexa S.A., Ireland-based Intellexa Limited, North Macedonian-based Cytrox AD, Hungary-based Cytrox Holdings and Ireland-based Thalestris Limited.
Intellexa consortium could not be immediately reached for comment.
The move comes as part of international efforts to stop the proliferation of commercial spyware tools.
Governments are meeting on March 18 for a Summit for Democracy in South Korea, spearheaded by the United States. At last year’s summit, the U.S. and partner countries outlined their commitment to reining in the use of commercial surveillance tools.
Targeted Predator software was at heart of Greek political hacking scandal.
The move comes as part of international efforts to stop the proliferation of commercial spyware tools | Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images
MARCH 5, 2024
BY JOHN SAKELLARIADIS
The United States government on Tuesday unveiled sanctions on two individuals and five corporate entities tied to the Intellexa consortium, a network of European firms behind the sale of a widely used mobile surveillance software known as Predator.
Intellexa's Predator spyware allows hackers to gain full access to victim devices, including microphones, cameras, text messages, and apps. The software was at the center of a political hacking scandal that rocked Greek politics in 2022. Intellexa has sold Predator to Austria, Germany and Switzerland as well as to governments with histories of human rights abuses, such as Qatar, Congo, the UAE, Pakistan and Vietnam, Amnesty researchers said previously.
The U.S. Treasury Department action marks the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on a shadowy ecosystem of commercial spyware vendors based in Europe whose products have been used by foreign governments against dissidents — and against U.S. citizens. In July, the White House added two European firms with ties to the Intellexa consortium to a Commerce Department blacklist.
“This action also recognizes the challenge and threat to Americans of commercial spyware misuse globally, but also particularly in Europe,” said a senior administration official, who provided a briefing to reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity.
Intellexa has sprung up to fill the vacuum left by Israel’s NSO Group, the once-prolific spyware maker behind the Pegasus software that has been battered by tightening domestic export controls, foreign sanctions and public scrutiny.
The sanctions block any U.S. business dealings by and with two individuals and five organizations. On the list of individuals are Tal Dilian, a former Israeli general and the founder of Intellexa, and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a corporate off-shoring specialist, the Treasury Department said. The organizations include Greece-based Intellexa S.A., Ireland-based Intellexa Limited, North Macedonian-based Cytrox AD, Hungary-based Cytrox Holdings and Ireland-based Thalestris Limited.
Intellexa consortium could not be immediately reached for comment.
The move comes as part of international efforts to stop the proliferation of commercial spyware tools.
Governments are meeting on March 18 for a Summit for Democracy in South Korea, spearheaded by the United States. At last year’s summit, the U.S. and partner countries outlined their commitment to reining in the use of commercial surveillance tools.
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