Finnish diplomats’ mobile devices hacked with spyware

By KARL RITTER
Associated Press

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Finland’s government says the mobile devices of Finnish diplomats working abroad have been hacked with sophisticated spyware. The country’s spy chief says a “state actor” was likely to blame. The Foreign Ministry said Friday the victims were targeted through Pegasus software developed by Israeli spyware company NSO Group. The software can seamlessly infiltrate a mobile phone and allow its operators to gain access to the device’s contents and location history. Jarmo Sareva, Finland’s Ambassador for Cyber Security, would not say who was believed to be behind the cyber espionage nor disclose what data was harvested. He said under government protocols information transmitted by phone must be public or classified at the lowest level.