Mozilla Blocks UAE Bid To Become an Internet Security Guardian After Hacking Reports (reuters.com) 21
Firefox browser maker Mozilla is blocking the United Arab Emirates' government from serving as one of its internet security gatekeepers, citing Reuters reports on a UAE cyber espionage program. From a report: Mozilla said in a statement on Tuesday it was rejecting the UAE's bid to become a globally recognized internet security watchdog, empowered to certify the safety of websites for Firefox users. Mozilla said it made the decision because cybersecurity firm DarkMatter would have administered the gatekeeper role and it had been linked by Reuters and other reports to a state-run hacking program. Reuters reported in January that Abu Dhabi-based DarkMatter provided staff for a secret hacking operation, codenamed Project Raven, on behalf of an Emirati intelligence agency. The unit was largely comprised of former U.S. intelligence officials who conducted offensive cyber operations for the UAE government. Former Raven operatives told Reuters that many DarkMatter executives were unaware of the secretive program, which operated from a converted Abu Dhabi mansion away from DarkMatter's headquarters.
Implausible deniability (Score:4, Insightful)
Former Raven operatives told Reuters that many DarkMatter executives were unaware of the secretive program, which operated from a converted Abu Dhabi mansion away from DarkMatter's headquarters.
Sounds like implausible deniability to me.
Re: (Score:1)
Implausible or not, business is good, right?
Our "Former Intelligence Officials"® are forming their own (not so) little army. For whom?
Dark matter just can't get a break ... (Score:2)
Cancelled:
2017: Dark Matter [wikipedia.org]
2019: DarkMatter [wikipedia.org]
????: dark matter [wikipedia.org]
Internet Security Guardian (Score:5, Informative)
The nitty gritty (Score:3, Informative)
For those interested in the history of this action, see https://groups.google.com/foru... [google.com].
The "announcement" was made in the first post made on July 9, 2019.
This gives you some insight into what kind of stuff goes on when an entity applies to have their root CAs become trusted by Mozilla, and effectively, trusted in other browsers.
Re: (Score:1)
Smart move. You think you'll get me to execute Javascript off a /Google/ site? On /my/ box?
Fuck off, Google.