WhatsApp Battles Spyware Breach from Israeli Firm

WhatsApp alleges that Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions targeted around 90 users. The attack involved journalists and members of civil society. WhatsApp has taken steps to halt the hacking effort and referred the situation to Citizen Lab for further investigation. Law enforcement has been notified.

WhatsApp has accused the Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions of targeting approximately 90 of its users, including journalists and civil society members. The chat service has sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter regarding the hacking incident.

The hack was detected and subsequently disrupted by WhatsApp, which has referred those affected to the Canadian internet watchdog group, Citizen Lab. The company has involved law enforcement agencies but withheld specifics about how responsibility was determined.

Paragon Solutions remained silent on the allegations. Citizen Lab's John Scott-Railton highlighted the incident as a further indication of the persistent threat posed by mercenary spyware.

(With inputs from agencies.)