Three defendants agree to pay $1.68m in penalties after criminal investigation by US Justice Department.
Proliferation of unregulated ‘offensive cyber capabilities undermines privacy and security worldwide’, US Justice Department official says [File: Andrew Harnik/AP Photo]Three “hackers-for-hire” working for a company in the United Arab Emirates “for the benefit” of the government in Abu Dhabi have agreed to pay $1.68m in penalties as part of a legal settlement in the United States, the US Justice Department said.
The suspects, two US citizens and one former American citizen, provided “zero-click” computer hacking services to the UAE company “that could compromise a device without any action by the target”, the Justice Department said in a statement on Tuesday.