Italian Prosecutors Confirm Journalist Was Hacked with Paragon Spyware

Italian prosecutors have confirmed the hacking of journalist Francesco Cancellato, who was alerted by WhatsApp of a suspected spyware attack last year. The Italian investigation validates Citizen Lab’s forensic analysis, which found that Cancellato’s phone was targeted by Paragon’s Graphite spyware. The case has caused a stir in Italy, casting doubt on Paragon’s claims to ‘ethical’ use.

Senior researcher John Scott-Railton told the Guardian and TechCrunch that the finding “makes it impossible to dismiss [the case] and immediately raises serious questions about why no confirmation was surfaced in prior official investigations by the Italian authorities.”