Amazon shuts down cloud infrastructure linked to Israeli firm NSO: Report

Amazon shuts down cloud infrastructure linked to Israeli firm NSO: Report
Reuters
Share
Font Size
Save
Comment
Synopsis

NSO Group's spyware was used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists around the world, according to an investigation by 17 media organizations published on Sunday.

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: The logo for Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
Amazon.com Inc's cloud service, Amazon Web Services, has shut down infrastructure and accounts linked to Israeli surveillance vendor NSO Group, US media group Vice reported on Monday.

NSO Group's spyware was used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists around the world, according to an investigation by 17 media organizations published on Sunday.

NSO denied the report and said its product was intended only for use by government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime.

"When we learned of this activity, we acted quickly to shut down the relevant infrastructure and accounts," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

Amazon did not immediately clarify if the accounts were related to NSO Group.

Read More News on

Stay on top of technology and startup news that matters. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest and must-read tech news, delivered straight to your inbox.

ETPrime stories of the day