US sanctions entities associated with Intellexa Consortium for role in spyware tech

The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on five individuals and one entity associated with the spyware firm Intellexa Consortium. 

This is for their alleged role in developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology.

The department said in a statement that this presents a significant threat to US national security. 

It also noted that the Intellexa Consortium is a complex international web of decentralized companies, which built and commercialized highly invasive spyware products, under the brand-name “Predator.”

Predator spyware has been used to gain access to data stored and transmitted from the target’s device, such as a cellphone, through one-click and zero-click attacks that require no user interaction.