A group of hackers believed to have sent malware to an Argentine prosecutor who died mysteriously this year has been targeting South American journalists and dissidents, according to the Citizen Lab, an Internet watchdog, the Associated Press reported. The Argentine prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, made international headlines when he died mysteriously while attempting to bring charges against the country’s president.
The scope of the hackers’ targets indicate state sponsorship, as do the targets themselves.
The hackers have launched dummy websites and have attacked Ecuadorean journalists and opposition figures with spyware. One dummy website targeting Venezuela carried news that reported questionable “scoops” alleging corruption among the governing socialists. In Ecuador, a dummy website was tailored to attract dissatisfied former police officers.
Researchers conducted a three-month investigation after determining the spyware on Nisman’s smartphone was written to transmit pilfered data to the same command-and-control structure as the malware sent to Ecuadorean targets. Investigators said the hackers demonstrated a systemic and keen interest in the independent press and the political opposition in the three countries, all of which are led by left-wing governments. (more...)
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