The Munk-ey on the Back of NSO Group
April 20, 2022
The Munk School at the University of Toronto has a keen interest in the NSO Group. I read “CatalanGate: Extensive Mercenary Spyware Operation against Catalans Using Pegasus and Candiru.” (I wish someone would ask me about the candiru at a dinner party. I really want to answer using my own style of expressing myself. Ah, you don’t know about the penis centric creature? Knowing can be helpful before a dip in certain South American rivers and streams.)
Back to munk-ey on NSO Group’s back.
The write up states:
The Citizen Lab, in collaboration with Catalan civil society groups, has identified at least 65 individuals targeted or infected with mercenary spyware. At least 63 were targeted or infected with Pegasus, and four others with Candiru. At least two were targeted or infected with both. Victims included Members of the European Parliament, Catalan Presidents, legislators, jurists, and members of civil society organizations. Family members were also infected in some cases.
What’s interesting is that the Munk folks want to prevent a government from performing certain actions. How’s that working out for those who want to influence Mr. Putin. A commercial enterprise sells to a government agency, how exactly is the vendor supposed to prevent a nation state from doing what it wants?
The write up focuses on political issues, and the NSO Group’s technology is not an interesting system with useful functions. The platform becomes the equivalent of Darth Vader’s favorite light saber. How will the Munk experts control an entity its researchers deem Darth Vader pretenders?
Yeah, how would that play out?
The write up is interesting and reveals quite a bit of research.
However, the more significant issue is one which is ignored. Technology can be placed in a context. The context then defines the technology. Our present context is that technology facilitates weaponization. The ethical underpinnings of behavior, in my opinion, have been torn or removed.
Thus, the Munk team is talking about technology and seems to be disinterested in what is allowing outfits like NSO Group become a ping pong ball. Without a net, there is no game.
Perhaps the net is a thing which can be put front and center? Legacies of Roman rule, control of national state officials, and the inherent badness of core mobile phone functions are a way to let off emotional steam?
What about no click exploits for Android devices? Perhaps that is next up on the Munk agenda?
Stephen E Arnold, April 20, 2022
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