The Meta-owned platform said on Monday that it had uncovered and stopped a series of spear-phishing attempts linked to NSO after receiving reports from users.

According to WhatsApp, the attackers tried to lure targets into clicking malicious links that directed them to websites outside the app.

“They tried to trick people into clicking on malicious links to drive them to external websites outside of WhatsApp,” the company wrote. “We also caught them creating test accounts and groups on WhatsApp, which we took down.”

WhatsApp said the operation shared similarities with another campaign uncovered in Jordan in 2024. In that case, victims who clicked malicious links were infected with Pegasus, NSO Group’s spyware.

Following its latest findings, Meta has asked a US federal court to hold NSO in contempt, arguing that the company breached a permanent injunction issued during a long-running case between both firms.

The court order stemmed from a 2019 hacking campaign in which more than 1,400 WhatsApp users were targeted through the platform. After discovering the breach, WhatsApp alerted affected users and filed a lawsuit against NSO.

A jury later ordered the spyware maker to pay $167 million in damages. That amount was subsequently reduced to $4 million.

The latest court filing is another chapter in an issue that has lasted several years and drawn attention to the high use of commercial spyware around the world.

NSO Group has been repeatedly cautioned over Pegasus, a surveillance tool capable of infiltrating mobile devices through so-called “zero-click” and “one-click” attacks. 

Investigations by journalists, security researchers and technology companies have linked the spyware to operations targeting journalists, activists, dissidents, human rights defenders and political opponents in several countries.

WhatsApp said it has continually exposed suspected spyware campaigns, notified victims and strengthened protections for users who may face a higher risk of digital surveillance.

Other technology companies, including Apple and Google, have also introduced additional security measures designed to help protect users from advanced spyware attacks.

Meta’s latest legal action has attracted support from civil society groups. A coalition of 12 civil rights organisations, privacy advocates and security researchers has filed court briefs backing the company’s position and urging the court to maintain pressure on NSO.

The spyware maker is also still under pressure from the US government. NSO is still listed on the US Commerce Department’s Entity List, a designation that restricts its access to American technology.

Washington has imposed similar measures on other spyware firms, including Intellexa and its founder.

In 2025, a group of US investors acquired NSO and began efforts to rebuild the company’s reputation while seeking the removal of US restrictions. However, the company remains on the Commerce Department blocklist.

The NSO Group did not respond to requests for comment on the latest allegations from WhatsApp.

The post WhatsApp Accuses NSO Group of New Spyware-Linked Attacks, Seeks Court Sanctions appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The call comes as part of activities marking the 2025 National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

With technology now part of everyday life, including mobile banking and social communication, among others, NITDA says awareness and personal discipline are essential in preventing cyber incidents that target unsuspecting users. 

The agency warned that while Nigeria’s digital economy grows, the risks grow with it, and citizens must adopt habits that make them less vulnerable to hackers and online fraud.

According to NITDA, simple habits can make a significant difference in keeping individuals safe online. These include using strong and unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, updating software regularly, and backing up important data. 

The agency also cautioned against opening links or attachments from unknown sources and advised people to think twice before sharing personal or financial details online.

This year’s theme, “Cyber Hygiene for a Safer Tomorrow,” reinforces the idea that cyber safety is not limited to individual behaviour. It is a shared responsibility that, when collectively observed, helps protect families, workplaces, and the wider digital community.

“Cyber hygiene is not only a personal responsibility but a collective effort. When individuals protect themselves, they also safeguard their families, workplaces, and the broader digital community,” the agency stated.

NITDA’s warning comes as more cyber incidents target both private citizens and organisations across Nigeria. The agency noted that strengthening cyber hygiene is indispensable in building a secure and resilient digital nation.

As part of its cyber safety campaign, NITDA urged Nigerians to “stay alert, click wisely, and stay safe online,” reminding everyone that cybersecurity starts with individual action.

The statement was signed by Mrs. Hadiza Umar, director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA.

The post NITDA Urges Nigerians to Take Personal Responsibility for Cyber Safety appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

In a statement published on Monday, the company made it clear that the panic resulted from misinformation. “Several inaccurate claims surfaced recently that incorrectly stated that we issued a broad warning to all Gmail users about a major Gmail security issue,” Google wrote. “This is entirely false.”

The confusion arose after multiple outlets reported that users had been advised to reset their passwords due to a large-scale compromise.

Many Gmail account holders were surprised, having never received any such notification. The figure of 2.5 billion suggested the warning should have reached everyone, yet it did not.

Behind the rumours lies a smaller incident that occurred in June. Hackers linked to groups such as ShinyHunters and Scattered Spider breached a Salesforce database Google uses to manage advertiser contacts.

The attackers gained entry through social engineering, posing as IT staff before deploying malware.

The data they accessed included business names, contact details, and CRM notes, but no Gmail passwords, emails, or private content. Those affected were notified directly by early August.

While the Salesforce breach did not expose Gmail itself, it triggered a surge in phishing and impersonation attacks. Fraudsters have been exploiting the stolen information to send fake support emails and even make phone calls, a tactic known as “vishing.”

According to Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, phishing and vishing now account for 37% of successful account takeovers across its platforms.

The company stressed that its defences are robust, blocking the vast majority of threats. “While it’s always the case that phishers are looking for ways to infiltrate inboxes, our protections continue to block more than 99.9% of phishing and malware attempts from reaching users,” Google explained in its blog post.

Google also used the opportunity to encourage stronger digital habits. It recommends adopting passkeys, biometric-based alternatives to traditional passwords, and staying alert for suspicious emails or calls.

Although last week’s reports led some users to reset their Gmail credentials in fear of a breach, cybersecurity experts point out that regularly updating passwords is still good practice. The bigger lesson is the importance of clarity, panic spread quickly because a blog about phishing trends was mistaken for a global warning about Gmail itself.

Currently, Gmail users are not under the sweeping threat that headlines suggested. The risk is phishing, not a collapsed wall of Google’s email security.

The post Google Denies Claims of Gmail Breach, Points to Misinformation appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The 2022 NGO Forum in Banjul, Gambia featured a session that was organized by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) in association with Global Partners Digital (GPD), a London-based organization. The session urged the African governments to participate more actively in the international treaty and policy-making process.

Additionally, the delegates asked that the states boost African civil society actors’ understanding of and participation in UN cyber processes related to responsible state behavior in cyberspace.

The one-day meeting was held on the margins of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the 35th commemoration of the Commission currently taking place from October 20 to November 9, 2022.

Facilitated by the Head of MRA’s Legal Department, Ms Obioma Okonkwo, and Ms Thobekile Matimbe, the Partnerships and Engagement Manager of Paradigm Initiative, the session was attended by representatives of African civil society organizations from across the continent.

In the resolutions adopted at the end of the session, they called on African governments to play a more active role in the ongoing work of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on the security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (OEWG), in order to ensure that African perspectives and voices are well-reflected in the outcome of the process while also protecting the interests of African countries and their citizens.

The participants suggested that in engaging international treaty and policy processes, African governments should build multi-stakeholder partnerships and delegations in order to ensure that the diverse competencies and expertise among the different stakeholder groups, which exist at the national and regional levels, are adequately harnessed to advance and protect African interests.

They called for greater collaboration between African governments and civil society organizations to create awareness among citizens and the entire populations of African countries of cybersecurity issues as the involvement and engagement by ordinary citizens are critical to the successful campaign for and realization of cybersecurity.

The post CSOs Demand Africa Promotion of Human Rights in Cybersecurity Laws appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

After LastPass was compromised, the staff members were rushing to contain the attack. Although LastPass claims there is no evidence that customer data or encrypted password vaults were compromised, the threat actors did steal portions of their source code and “proprietary LastPass technical information.”

More than 33 million people around the world use LastPass

In a blog post, Karim Toubba, LastPass’ CEO, said: “Two weeks ago, we detected some unusual activity within portions of the LastPass development environment,” he said.

“After initiating an immediate investigation, we have seen no evidence that this incident involved any access to customer data or encrypted password vaults.

We have determined that an unauthorized party gained access to portions of the LastPass development environment through a single compromised developer account and took portions of source code and some proprietary LastPass technical information. Our products and services are operating normally.”

Response to Attack

“In response to the incident, we have deployed containment and mitigation measures, and engaged a leading cybersecurity and forensics firm,” explains the LastPass advisory.

“While our investigation is ongoing, we have achieved a state of containment, implemented additional enhanced security measures, and see no further evidence of unauthorized activity.”

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