The Italian government denied using spyware to spy on journalists and activists but confirmed that at least seven Italian cellphones were hacked with military-grade surveillance technology. WhatsApp informed several EU-based individuals on Jan. 31 about a spyware attack using technology from Israeli firm Paragon Solutions, which later halted one of its contracts with Italy. Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani insisted that the government’s intelligence services followed the law and denied illegal surveillance, while pledging full cooperation with an investigation into the vulnerabilities. Among those targeted were journalist Francesco Cancellato and activist Luca Casarini, both critical of the government, who suspect their work led to the attacks. Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency is investigating, and judicial authorities will determine the source of the spyware infiltration. Continue here.
