Al Jazeera Media Network: Staff Devices Targeted by Israeli Spyware

Al Jazeera Media Network issued an official statement strongly condemning the targeting of its employees’ devices with Israeli spyware, calling for accountability for those responsible for the breach.

This official stance came in tandem with the release of two separate cybersecurity investigations by Canada’s Citizen Lab and the U.S.-based advertising security firm Confiant, which revealed details of the hacking operation:

The investigations showed that 45 Windows-based computers within Al Jazeera’s network were compromised by spyware developed by the Israeli company Candiru. This was confirmed after analyzing network logs provided by the media organization.

The spyware was planted through an Israeli advertising company called Discover-Tech. The malicious system relied on broadcasting seemingly harmless digital advertisements online, which contained code capable of compromising devices as soon as they appeared on screen, creating user profiles without requiring the victim to click on any links.

Following the exposure of these activities, major technology companies took strict punitive measures against the Israeli advertising firm. Google permanently banned Discover-Tech from its advertising platforms due to its systematic violations, while IAB Europe and Comcast removed it and suspended its accreditation.