US Blacklists Israeli Firms NSO Group and Candiru

The US Commerce Department has added four foreign companies from Israel, Russia, and Singapore to its Entity List for "engaging in activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States."

These companies include Israeli firms NSO Group and Cendiru, both listed based on evidence that they developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments, which later used the tools to target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers, officials wrote in a release.

Positive Technologies, of Russia, and Computer Security Initiative Consultancy, of Singapore, were listed based on officials' determination that they traffic in cybertools used to gain illicit access to information systems and threaten the privacy and security of individuals and organizations around the world, the statement reads.

The Entity List is a tool used to restrict the export, re-export, and in-country transfer of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to people and organizations "reasonably believed" to have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of becoming involved in activities contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests.

Read more details here.