A recent report revealed that a cybersecurity company from Israel is offering phone and computer-spying services to customers on the dark web.
The spying services are exclusively available for particular countries around the world, excluding nations such as the U.S., Australia and Africa.
Allegedly, Israeli surveillance technology firm NSO Group is one of the customers of these services, but the company's spokesperson denied all the claims.
Israel a Hub for Cybersecurity Software & Services
Cybersecurity services are in high demand, and that is exactly why cybersecurity as an industry is constantly growing.
Many cybersecurity companies are established daily, and firms worldwide enthusiastically invest in such services.
Israel, also known as a technology hub, has the industry worth $82 billion, which makes the country a powerhouse of cybersecurity.
However, not only Israel is recognizable as the center of IT technology, but it also is a hot spot for criminal online activities.
Involving a minimum of 100 companies in the country, Tel Aviv-based newspaper TheMarker exposed their recent findings in an exclusive report.
Candiru's Base of Clients
Among the companies found to be dealing with illegal cyber activities is a firm named Candiru.
As reported in TheMarker, Candiru is a cybersecurity company that offers cyberattacks-as-a-service to client via the dark web.
These services provide users with the ability to hack other computer networks by using computerized tools.
The company got its name after a fish of the Amazon River named Candiru. The fish is known for the tendency to infiltrate into the bodies of the swimmers through their urethra.
The analogy of the fish and the idea behind the firm is right to the point since Candiru works with a purpose to enter people's privacy by spying on them.
The spying services target both computer and mobile systems.
TheMarker report revealed that customers such as Israel-based NSO Group as well as companies based in Mexico and Saudi Arabia use Candiru's services.
Following the release of the data, NSO Group, a cyber intelligence firm of the government based in Herzliya, Israel, spoke to the public and denied the allegations.
According to NSO, their main objective is to fight cybercrime and terror by providing legitimate cyber tools.
The Pegasus spying software is acknowledged as NSO's biggest product-it's designed to quietly enter an iPhone and intercept all data stored therein.
Candiru's company sales policies mention that the services of the firm are available only for particular regions.
Boycotting the U.S., Australia and Africa, Candiru mainly focuses on selling cyberattack services to clients in Asia and Western Europe.
More Findings in the TheMarker Report
TheMarker reports also revealed that Candiru, unfortunately, is not the only fish in the sea of threat intelligence companies undertaking similar operations.
According to the newspaper, 32 other associations in the region sell the same kind of services.
FinFisher, much like Candiru, is known for marketing its spyware to clients in law enforcement.
Trade analysts have stated that the final estimates of the overall market associated with illegal cyber activities generate sales worth $2 billion yearly.
The employees of these companies are estimated to be more than 120. The workers are obligated to sign a confidentiality agreement and are later recruited from the Intelligence Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces. None of the employees use social media.
Reportedly, the workers are paid a fixed wage of around $21,000. Calculated in Israeli money, the salary of the employees is a minimum of 80,000 shekels.
