RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Microsoft says it’s blocked tools developed by an Israeli hacker-for-hire company that were used to spy on more than 100 people around the world, including politicians, human rights activists, journalists, academics and political dissidents. Microsoft issued a software update and worked with the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto to investigate the secretive Israeli company, known as Candiru, that’s said to be behind the hacking efforts. The reports by Microsoft and Citizen Lab shine new light on a growing and lucrative industry of selling sophisticated hacking tools to governments and law enforcement agencies. Attempts to reach representatives of Candiru were unsuccessful. Microsoft did not name the targets but described them generally by category.
Microsoft says it blocked spying on rights activists, others
