Professor Mark Skilton said:

“The WhatsApp hack is an example of military cyber weapons getting out “into the wild” and being used by criminals, much like the Wannacry attack on the NHS two years ago.

“It is a reminder how much trust we put in these social media platforms to protect our privacy. In this case we might not detect this attack to install spyware on our messages, like a phishing email, until it’s too late.

“You can never have 100% safe systems, you must use strong passwords and be observant all the time but at the end of the day these large public platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter should be more accountable to manage their platforms better.

“We need the systems they use to be tested constantly, but the bigger issue here is about the proper management of these types of weapons.

"Firms like NSO, who reportedly developed the spyware used on WhatsApp, have a responsibility to prevent them getting into the wrong hands and used on previous targets such as Amnesty International and the NHS, where it can have disastrous consequences for vulnerable people. These new cyber weapons must be classified as very dangerous in the wrong hands and managed as such."

14 May 2019

 

 

 

 

 

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