Espionage, here’s how and why Google flayed RCS Lab (Electronics group)
Hacking tools from Italy's RCS Lab (controlled by Elettronica) have been used to spy on Apple and Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan, according to Google. All the details
The software of RCS Lab, an Italian company specializing in communications surveillance, used to hack smartphones and spy on their users in Italy and Kazakhstan.
This is what we read in a Google report , published on 23 June.
According to the engineers of the Mountain View giant, RCS Lab has developed software capable of accessing private messages and contacts of hacked electronic devices. “These vendors are enabling the proliferation of dangerous hacking tools and arming governments that would not be able to develop these capabilities internally,” the Google post reads.
Case Pegasus remember? The surveillance industry fell into the global spotlight when the Pegasus case exploded in recent years. That is the spyware of the Israeli surveillance company NSO used by multiple governments to spy on journalists, activists and dissidents. "While RCS Lab's tool may not be as stealthy as Pegasus, it can still read messages and view passwords," Bill Marczak, a researcher at Citizen Lab, told Reuters .
RCS Lab immediately dismissed all charges.
The Milanese company is the main supplier in Italy of tools for environmental, telephone and telematic wiretapping to prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and services. The capital of RCS Lab is held by the holding company Aurora, recently acquired by Cy4gate (Electronics group).
All the details.
THE ACCUSATION OF BIG G
This was revealed by Google, which denounces a "flourishing" cyber espionage industry. "These companies facilitate the proliferation of dangerous piracy tools and arm governments that otherwise would not be able to develop these skills," claims the American high-tech giant.
Google said it has taken steps to protect users of its Android operating system and warned them of the spyware.
SPY SOFTWARE ON ANDROID AND APPLE SMARTPHONES
Google engineers explain that the victims, users of smartphones with Android (Google) and iOS (Apple), received a link that installs malicious applications, then allowing them to spy on their activity on their mobile or extract documents. In some cases, hackers act with the complicity of internet providers, and the apps resemble those of well-known operators.
THE COMPANY RCS LAB
According to Google, the software in question is that of RCS Lab, an Italian company that “provides cutting-edge technological solutions to security services for the surveillance of communications”.
Google researchers found that RCS Lab had previously partnered with controversial Italian spy company Hacking Team. The latter went bankrupt after being the victim of a major hack in 2015 that led to the disclosure of numerous internal documents.
Google also said it believed hackers using RCS Lab spyware were working with the victims' Internet service provider, which "suggests they had links to government-backed actors," said Billy Leonard, senior researcher at Google.
THE MOVE OF APPLE
The Google report had direct consequences. An Apple spokesperson told Reuters that the company has revoked all known accounts and certificates associated with this hacking campaign.
RCS LAB'S DEFENSE AGAINST GOOGLE ACCUSES
RCS Lab replied immediately. The company denied the allegations, stating that its products and services comply with European regulations and help law enforcement investigate potential crimes.
WHAT THE MILANESE COMPANY DOES
As stated on the website , RCS has been operating since 1993 in the world market of services in support of investigative activities.
The Milanese company deals with the design, production and assistance in the operation of equipment intended for the electronic control of telecommunications equipped with all the functions required for use in investigations by the Judicial Authority. RCS has around 200 employees.
“The company's core business is the design, production and implementation of software platforms for lawful interception, forensic intelligence and data analysis. In this specific market segment, the products and services are provided to government operators, in order to prevent or suppress serious crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, mafia association, child pornography, corruption, and more "specifies Cy4gate in today's note.
JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES, LAWS AND SECRET SERVICES BETWEEN CUSTOMERS
There are three categories of customers who rely on RCS services and products, as stated on the site .
First of all, the judicial authorities and law enforcement agencies: they essentially use devices and equipment for telephone and environmental monitoring on a large scale. They operate mainly in the listening rooms of the 167 public prosecutors' offices.
Secondly, the special forces: they develop targeted and specialized activities, operating in a sophisticated technological environment, in specific fields of action. And thirdly, the secret services and intelligence: their needs are concentrated on small devices dedicated to the direct interception of single targets, to the processing and decoding of the data obtained.
THE PROPERTY
With a share capital of 7,000,000 euros, the company is 100% controlled by Aurora Spa. On March 28, Cy4Gate finalized the acquisition of the Aurora Group, of which RCS Lab is a part.
THE SUSPENSION OF RCS FOR THE PALAMARA CASE
Finally, the Milanese company had already jumped to the news last year for the interception activities related to the case of the former CSM councilor Luca Palamara.
Just on the day of the communication of interest by Cy4gate for RCS, the latter ended up in the crosshairs of the prosecutor's office.
In the provision of May 4, 2021, the prosecutor Giovanni Melillo ordered "the suspension, with immediate effect, and until further notice, of the assignment to the company Rcs Spa of new assignments for the supply of functional services for carrying out telematic interception activities passive and active ”revealed the daily La Verità .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/google-rcs-lab-elettronica/ on Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:27:14 +0000.