Latest news with #PhyllisHamilton
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta wins $167m in damages in spyware case against Israel's NSO
A US jury in California has ordered Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group Technologies to pay $167m (NIS598.4m) in damages to Meta, concluding a protracted legal battle that began in 2019. The case centred on allegations that NSO had used its spyware to infiltrate WhatsApp accounts belonging to journalists, activists and government officials. The California jury's decision included $444,719 in compensatory damages and a further $167.3m in punitive damages. In a press statement, Meta said: 'Today's verdict in WhatsApp's case is an important step forward for privacy and security as the first victory against the development and use of illegal spyware that threatens the safety and privacy of everyone. 'Today, the jury's decision to force NSO, a notorious foreign spyware merchant, to pay damages is a critical deterrent to this malicious industry against their illegal acts aimed at American companies and the privacy and security of the people we serve.' This followed an earlier ruling in December 2024, which found that NSO had unlawfully exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp to plant surveillance software on users' devices. Meta initiated the lawsuit after Canadian research group Citizen Lab revealed that Pegasus spyware had been deployed through WhatsApp without users' knowledge. The malware allowed the unauthorised activation of a device's camera and microphone and provided access to emails, messages and location data. The spyware could be installed by merely sending a message, requiring no action from the recipient. During court proceedings, it emerged that NSO maintained a 140-member research team with an annual budget of $50m. Part of this funding was allocated to identifying and exploiting weaknesses in smartphone security, reported Reuters. An attorney for NSO disclosed that its client list included countries such as Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. In a previous ruling in December, District Judge Phyllis Hamilton criticised NSO for its non-compliance with court orders and failure to provide relevant discovery. NSO was cited by the news agency as saying that it will 'carefully examine the verdict's details and pursue appropriate legal remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal'. "Meta wins $167m in damages in spyware case against Israel's NSO" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Meta awarded $167 million in damages from Israeli cybersecurity firm
Live Events The Israeli cybersecurity firm NSO Group was ordered on Tuesday to pay $167 million in damages to Meta , capping a six-year legal battle after NSO hacked 1,400 WhatsApp accounts belonging to journalists, human-rights activists and government December, Judge Phyllis Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that NSO Group had broken cybersecurity laws by using its popular Pegasus spying software to target phones with WhatsApp installed in 20 countries. Meta owns WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging app with more than 2 billion users, as well as Facebook and March, Meta filed a brief seeking damages from NSO Group, and last week a jury heard arguments about potential penalties. The jury awarded the damages Tuesday after two days of deliberations."The jury's verdict today to punish NSO is a critical deterrent to the spyware industry against their illegal acts aimed at American companies and our users worldwide," Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said in a statement. "This is an industrywide threat, and it'll take all of us to defend against it."WhatsApp said it would donate the damages to digital rights organizations that defend people."We will carefully examine the verdict's details and pursue appropriate legal remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal," said Gil Lainer, NSO Group's vice president for global communication. "We firmly believe that our technology plays a critical role in preventing serious crime and terrorism and is deployed responsibly by authorized government agencies."WhatsApp sued NSO Group in 2019, accusing it of gaining access to WhatsApp servers without permission. The trial, during which NSO Group executives testified in court for the first time, shed light on the company's ability to install its Pegasus software on the mobile devices of targets without their knowledge. Its executives argued that Pegasus helped law enforcement and intelligence agencies fight crime and protect national security. Apple similarly sued NSO Group for hacking its devices in 2021, but dropped its suit in September. Also in 2021, the Commerce Department blacklisted NSO Group, saying the company acted "contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States."Spyware, a type of software installed on phones, laptops and other electronic devices to spy on unsuspecting victims, is a growing field. NSO Group's early spyware required that people click on text messages or images sent via WhatsApp for it to be unknowingly downloaded on their to evidence presented at the trial, new versions could hack into a phone through a sent text message, requiring no action by the receiver. The trial also revealed that NSO Group had developed technology to hack into other messaging Scott-Railton, an outside expert who helped WhatsApp inform people that NSO Group spyware had targeted them, said Tuesday's decision would damage the company."NSO's business is based on hacking American companies," and then "dictators can hack dissidents," said Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity watchdog group at the University of Toronto. "This verdict sends a clear signal."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
