US imposes sanctions on Greece-based company founded by ex-Israeli military officer

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions the Intellexa Consortium, a Greece-based spyware developer, for threatening American security by infiltrating devices with the Predator spyware

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned the Greece-based Intellexa Consortium for its role in developing and distributing the invasive Predator spyware.

This action marks a concerted effort by the U.S. to counter threats posed by commercial spyware targeting American citizens, including government officials, journalists, and policy experts.

Founded in 2019 by former Israeli military officer Tal Jonathan Dilian, Intellexa has emerged as a key player in the global market for commercial spyware. The consortium specializes in the Predator spyware, notorious for its capability to infiltrate electronic devices through zero-click attacks, enabling unauthorized data extraction and geolocation tracking.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has specifically targeted two individuals: Tal Jonathan Dilian, the mastermind behind Intellexa, and Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, a crucial figure in the consortium’s operations.

The sanctions extend to five entities within the Intellexa Consortium, including Greece’s Intellexa S.A., North Macedonia’s Cytrox AD, and several companies in Ireland and Hungary.

These sanctions block all property and interests in property of these individuals and entities within the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons. They also prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with the designated persons.

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson highlighted this move as a key step forward in discouraging the misuse of commercial surveillance tools, which increasingly pose a security risk to the U.S. and its citizens.

Intellexa’s Predator spyware has raised alarms for its ability to access and retrieve sensitive information, including personal contacts, call logs, and even microphone recordings from infected devices. The deployment of this spyware by foreign actors against U.S. targets has underscored the urgent need for action.

This action by the U.S. Treasury Department is part of a broader strategy by the Biden-Harris Administration to establish stringent controls over the use of commercial spyware. It reflects the U.S. government’s commitment to protecting national security and promoting respect for human rights and democratic values globally.

Source: Newsroom