The U.S. Treasury Department announced on March 5 that it would impose sanctions on Intellexa, a commercial spyware company based in Greece for allegedly using spyware to target U.S. journalists and policy experts.
IntelleXA has spearheaded the development of a suite of tools called Predator, which has allowed commercial spyware and surveillance technology to proliferate around the world, allowing hackers, foreign hostiles and cybercriminals to use highly intrusive Predator spyware to target mobile platforms, including iOS and Android, and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information on these devices, according to the Treasury Department.
It is reported that two individuals and five entities involved in the development of the Predator spyware include IntelleXa founder Tal Dilian, a former Israeli intelligence agent and longtime spyware worker. Sara Hamou, a corporate offshore expert who provides management services to IntelleXa, has also been sanctioned.
Hamu has held leadership positions in a number of entities associated with Intellexa, all of which are subject to sanctions, such as Intellexa's software development company Intellexa SA, based in Greece; IntelleX Limited, based in Ireland; Thalestris Limited owns the distribution rights to the Predator spyware.
The sanctions will effectively freeze all U.S. assets and prevent any U.S. person from doing business with the individuals listed above or their affiliated entities. Any financial institution or U.S. citizen that deals with sanctioned entities and individuals could face sanctions or enforcement action, the Treasury Department said.
"Today's action is a tangible step in stopping the misuse of commercial surveillance tools, which increasingly pose a security risk to the United States and our citizens," Brian Nelson, U.S. Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement. ”