Meta Manager Was Hacked With Spyware an Wiretapped in Greece

一つ目

Data of Report: March 2023
Affiliations: Believed to be the work of the Greek Intelligence Service

In September 2021, Greece’s national intelligence service installed Predator spyware onto the phone of a Meta employee in the country, Artemis Seaford, in September 2021 and operated the malware for at least two months. Why Seaford was targeted is unclear, and the Greek authorities have said they will launch an investigation into the hack.
SUSPECTED VICTIMS: Artemis Seaford, a Meta employee
SUSPECTED STATE SPONSORS: Greece
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Espionage
TARGET CATEGORY: Private Sector
VICTIM GOVERNMENT REACTION: Unknown
POLICY RESPONSE: Unknown
SUSPECTED STATE SPONSOR RESPONSE: Unknown

This disclosure marks the first known instance of an American citizen being targeted with advanced surveillance technology within a European Union Country. The misuse of spyware, which has been traditionally associated with authoritarian regimes targeting dissidents and journalists, appears to be spreading into European democracies, even ensnaring foreign nationals working for major global corporations. This situation emerged amidst a burgeoning scandal in Greece over wiretapping and illegal spyware usage, which has intensified criticisms that the government has misused its intelligence agency’s powers for illicit purposes. The Predator spyware, marketed by an Athens-based company and reportedly exported with the blessing of the Greek government, potentially violates European Union regulations.
Analysis and Evaluation:
This cyber operation falls under the objective of “Foreign Intelligence Collection for National Security.” The use of wiretapping and spyware was aimed at gathering information from a specific individual, which suggests that the operation was likely intended to collect significant information linked directly to national security. Given this focus, the operation might be evaluated within the 0.7 to 0.9 range on the scale, indicating that strategic information potentially affecting national security was collected.

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