Key Findings This joint investigation with First Department, a legal assistance organization, found spyware covertly implanted on a phone returned to a Russian programmer accused of sending money to Ukraine after he was released from custody. He describes being subjected to beatings and an intense effort to recruit him as an informant for the Russian… Read more »
Building upon our prior research and the contributions of other scholars to this field, the aim of this novel study is to understand the security risks and harms caused by digital transnational repression against exiled and diaspora women human rights defenders.
We analyze the system Amazon deploys on the US “amazon.com” storefront to restrict shipments of certain products to specific regions. We found 17,050 products that Amazon restricted from being shipped to at least one world region. – While many of the shipping restrictions are related to regulations involving WiFi, car seats, and other heavily regulated product categories, the most common product category restricted by Amazon in our study was books.
This report performs the first public analysis of MMTLS, the main network protocol used by WeChat, an app with over one billion users. The report finds that MMTLS is a modified version of TLS, however some of the modifications have introduced cryptographic weaknesses.
The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, focusing on research and development at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security. Learn more.
In this episode of Zoom In Zoom Out on TaiwanPlus, Rebekah Brown, senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, speaks with reporter Herel Hughes to unpack the alarming rise of commercial spyware and its misuse across the globe.
Ron Deibert and Noura Aljizawi join CBC chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault to discuss the growing issue of foreign governments’ threats and intimidation targeting exiled women activists and dissidents living in Canada.
The Citizen Lab’s director Ron Deibert and senior researcher John Scott-Railton co-signed an open letter spearheaded by Access Now, calling on Sandvine to publicly commit to upholding the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and to strengthen oversight and transparency of the company’s announced reforms. On October 31, 2024, Access Now, along… Read more »
In the latest episode of the Distilling Cyber Policy podcast, Alex Botting and Jen Ellis from the Center for Cybersecurity Policy & Law are joined by Rebekah Brown and John Scott-Railton, senior researchers at the Citizen Lab. Together, they discuss the Citizen Lab’s “Rivers of Phish” report on sophisticated phishing targeting Russia’s perceived adversaries. The report was a collaborative investigation with Access Now alongside civil society organizations First Department, Arjuna Team, and RESIDENT.ngo.
In order to pursue justice against spyware manufacturers such as the NSO Group and the governments that use this technology, victims must overcome significant legal challenges. Speaking with CyberScoop, John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, discusses the challenges surrounding litigation, U.S. laws, and jurisdictional issues for victims seeking remedies.
Kate Robertson, Senior Researcher at the Citizen Lab provided a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence, and Veterans Affairs, that contributes to the ongoing consideration of Bill C-26, which seeks to give the federal government the power to impose cybersecurity regulations on telecom and critical infrastructure providers in Canada.
