The Spies Hacking Our Phones Are Going Dark, and We're All in Trouble

Explore a critical presentation from USENIX Security '19 that delves into the alarming trend of nation-states exploiting powerful commercial hacking and spyware tools for covert surveillance and sabotage of political targets. Learn about the methodologies used by Citizen Lab to uncover spyware abuses, including their work on high-profile cases involving Mexican government surveillance and the Jamal Khashoggi assassination. Understand the challenges posed by zero-day zero-click attacks and the difficulties in identifying targets due to evolving spyware techniques. Gain insights into how developers, platforms, and researchers can contribute to addressing the growing problem of commercial spyware misuse and its potential threats to individual freedoms and democracy. Discover the importance of academic research in creating accountability within the commercial spyware industry and working towards ending the misuse of these powerful espionage tools.

USENIX Security '19 - The Spies Hacking our Phones are Going Dark, and We're All in Trouble