iPhones of at least nine US State Department employees were hacked by an unknown person who used a sophisticated program developed by Israel-based company NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter.
The cyber intrusions, which took place over several months, targeted US officials based in Uganda or focused on issues relating to the West African country, two of the sources said.
The intrusions, revealed first-hand by Reuters, represent the most widespread intrusions by US officials with NSO technology that are known to exist. Previously, a list of numbers with potential targets, including some US officials, was released in reports about the NSO, but it was unclear whether the intrusions were mere attempts or were they successful.
Reuters was unable to determine who carried out the most recent cyber attacks.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NSO Group said it has no indication that its tools were used, but it has canceled the relevant accounts and will investigate based on Reuters reports.
The company has long said that it only sells its products to government law enforcement agencies and intelligence clients, helping them to monitor security threats, and that it does not directly engage in surveillance operations.
By Christopher Bing and Joseph Menn, by Reuters
Reference: CNN Brasil
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