Egyptian Opposition Politician Targeted With Spyware After Presidential Bid
Egyptian opposition politician Ahmed Altantawy was targeted multiple times with spyware after announcing plans to challenge President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the 2024 elections, according to security researchers. Citizen Lab and Google’s Threat Analysis Group discovered attempts to hack Altantawy’s smartphone using Predator spyware. The malware turns a phone into a remote eavesdropping device and can steal data.
Last week’s discovery prompted Apple to issue urgent operating system updates. Altantawy had kept his phone in “lockdown mode,” a security setting Apple recommends for users at high risk, such as journalists and rights activists in countries like Egypt. This likely thwarted the hacking attempts.
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Researchers have “high confidence” that the Egyptian government is behind the attacks, given that the spyware was delivered from within Egypt and that Egypt is a known customer of Cytrox, Predator’s maker. Bill Marczak, an internet watchdog, said the capability for such widespread targeting is “scary.”
Altantawy, previously a journalist, has spoken out against El-Sisi’s crackdown on dissent, including forced disappearances and torture. He believes the hacking attempts aim to find compromising material to discredit him.
