Hacking Team Tries to Make a Comeback

Hacking Team tried to make a comeback last month after the prestigious security expert was hacked in July. The company pitched security encryption hacking software to government agents via email, but it remains unclear if the move will save the company.

Hacking Team suffered one of the most embarrassing PR disasters in recent history (Follow this link for the story). The Italian security company was accused of doing business with international leaders associated with crimes against humanity in 2014. After Hacking Team CEO David Vincenzetti denied the claims, the company was hacked by FinFisher, who publically exposed the company’s internal documents.

The hack proved Hacking Team was indeed profiting from relationships with some of the most controversial international leaders, including selling its Remote Control System (RCS) spyware to the Sudanese government last year, during the height of an ongoing conflict in the Darfur region. The conflict is believed to be one of the bloodiest in recent history, including accusations of ethnic cleansing and rape on a massive scale.

The hack was devastating to Hacking Team’s credentials. It is still unclear the extent to which the company’s sales have dropped, but Vincenzetti believes he can turn the company around before the end of the year.

Vincenzetti sent an email to its customer list last month, making mention of an update to its RCS that includes technology that is uncharted (and hopefully unhackable). It seems the CEO hopes RCS 10 will address current customers’ security concerns. Further still, the Italian company wants in on the American market, targeting the FBI with a new product that addresses the concern of ‘going dark’.

As technology advances, the issue of privacy is becoming more wildly debated. In a recent speech given by FBI Director James B. Comey, the director pleaded with technology conglomerates to lighten encryption, so government agencies can better detect criminals. Technology companies are not complying, and Hacking Team allegedly emailed FBI agents directly to pitch them on the company’s software that is rumored to get around encryptions through hacking.

There are rumors, according to vice, Comey suggested the government would set regulations on encryptions if the issue of going dark is not tackled, but Hacking Team’s proposal gives law enforcement a new way to go about fighting crime. The proposal isn’t unprecedented, as the FBI has done business with Hacking Team in the past, but it is unclear whether or not the bureau will take the bait, given the hacking fiasco in July. Still, the FBI isn’t the only agency looking to adopt technology to aid with law enforcement.

The Seattle police department wanted a creative way to address bad press resulting from police videos being uploaded to YouTube automatically. Vigilante Tim Clemans landed a job with the organization after making public record requests to balance the steam of bad videos with videos that showed officers in a better light.

Aside from attempting to balance the score, the talented programmer created a nifty application that automatically blurs anything that moves in police vehicle footage before its automatically uploaded to the web. Despite leaving the force after having internal conflict, says the stranger, with the department’s bureaucracy, Clemens is an inspiration to the nation and was commended for doing an incredible job. 

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