Need an Election Meddled With or an Activist Doxxed? Call on These Israeli Hackers

Private Israeli spy companies have been meddling in other countries, including their elections, at previously unknown levels. The private intelligence firm Psy-Group went to great lengths to pitch the Trump presidential campaign on its services and nakedly meddled in a small-town California election, according to a new report published in the latest issue of The New Yorker. Meanwhile, a number of people associated with lawsuits against NSO Group, infamous for its Pegasus spyware, have become targets of another spying group, according to an AP exclusive.

Hacking and meddling: those are two of the terms underpinning allegations against Russia that have captivated American audiences and lawmakers alike for the past two years. But while Russian hacking has not been conclusively linked to the leak of emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) servers, nor is there any evidence, or indictments, that the “Russian troll farm” operated by the private Internet Research Agency is secretly run by the Kremlin, there is ample evidence that bands of self-styled spies for hire have used such tactics to undermine American institutions.

Israel’s special relationship with the United States has given it a free pass for atrocities in Gaza. But, beyond this, in an era of legal gray zones in the area of online disinformation operations, the country’s private spy community — which is comprised mostly of former Mossad and former military intelligence officers — has also been given carte blanche to covertly meddle and engage in black-ops missions in a host of nations.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/how-israel-spies-meddle-in-elections-and-hack-activists-with-impunity/255099/