Key takeaways:
- Researchers say Israeli ad company Discover-Tech used online ads in the Discover-Tech spyware campaign to track users and help hack their devices.
- The ads appeared on more than 120,000 websites and 75,000 apps.
- Google and other industry companies cut off Discover-Tech from their advertising platforms after the findings were published.
Israeli digital ad company Discover-Tech used online advertising to track internet users and help hack their devices, according to reports published Thursday by two research groups.
Researchers Report Global Spying Campaign Through Online Ads
Cybersecurity research groups Citizen Lab and Confiant said Discover-Tech used online ad networks to carry out the large-scale Discover-Tech spyware campaign.
The researchers found that the company’s ads reached more than 120,000 websites and 75,000 apps. Confiant estimated that the ads may have reached hundreds of millions of internet users worldwide.
The campaign targeted government agencies and international organizations. Researchers found the ads on networks linked to the Pentagon, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Criminal Court. They also appeared on networks linked to the European Commission, NATO, the United Nations, and major semiconductor companies.
Citizen Lab found that Discover-Tech used online ads to help deliver spyware to selected targets. In one case, the company helped a spyware firm target media workers at Al Jazeera. Researchers also found a high number of Discover-Tech ads on advertising networks in Palestinian territories.
Google and Other Companies Cut Off Discover-Tech
Major technology and advertising companies took action after the findings became public. Google removed Discover-Tech from its advertising platforms, saying the company had repeatedly broken its rules. Advertising industry group IAB Europe also suspended Discover-Tech from its approved vendor list after a review.
Comcast-owned Beeswax also cut off the company from its platform. In total, five advertising vendors and industry groups stopped providing services to Discover-Tech following the Discover-Tech spyware campaign. Security experts welcomed the action but called for stronger government oversight.
Citizen Lab senior researcher Wolfie Cristl described the online advertising system as a wider security risk. He urged governments to investigate the companies involved and address risks in how online ads target users. The findings have raised fresh concerns about the use of advertising tools to track people.
Military Officials Warn of Risks From Online Tracking
The findings also raise concerns about national security. The Pentagon has previously warned that location data collected from US military personnel could put them at risk. Data brokers and advertising companies buy and sell this type of information through commercial markets.
Several branches of the US military responded by turning off ad-tracking tools on official mobile devices. Defense officials continue to review commercial advertising systems to reduce the risk of tracking military personnel.
Researchers warned that the Discover-Tech spyware campaign shows how online ads can be used to spy on specific people and target their devices. They expect further checks of ad networks and data brokers as the investigation continues. Security experts recommend that organizations use ad-blocking tools across their work networks to reduce tracking risks.
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