Posing as young women, journalists and political activists, they then sought "to build trust with people they targeted and trick them into installing malicious software. He said Facebook had "high confidence" in its findings, but declined to elaborate.In all, he said nearly 800 people were targeted. The company said it was impossible to say how many had downloaded the malware or determine what the security agency had done with the information. "Hacking the phones of hundreds of Palestinian civil society actors is yet another brazen attempt by Palestinian security services to police and silence critics and opponents," said Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch . "Facebook said the Arid Viper group's activity originated in "Palestine" and focused on domestic targets, including government officials, members of Fatah, student groups and security forces.

Source: Economic Times April 22, 2021 03:28 UTC