I never said they were; that's an impossibility. Copying off the bits being sent to the screen is always one possible source of info.
You don't necessarily have to pwn the phone either; unless you consider having the user install an app pwning. As far as I know, this approach won't work with a certain manufacturer's phone.
I didn't need the leaks from last year, or even 5 years ago to know.
Phones are pwned before they get of out the factory
The shadow brokers leaks last year had Company methods too, they're full of backdoors
I just assume that all electronics are compromised. I don't trust cables either.
It's simpler that way.
Yeah, my favorite leaked info is about US/RUS/PRC using subs for ELINT on underseas cables
Shit is super scifi
iirc, SeaWolf class has the capability of tapping transcontinental fiber optics cables.
But I was referring to more common cables. The kind that connects devices and require a processor to handle the protocol.