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Suspected Russian Hackers Use Sophisticated New Tactic to Target UK Researcher

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Suspected Russian hackers deployed a novel and highly convincing tactic to trick British researcher Keir Giles into compromising his own accounts, according to Giles and cybersecurity experts.

Last month, the hackers impersonated a U.S. State Department official named “Claudie Weber” who contacted Giles via email to arrange a meeting requiring use of a secure government app. Although the email came from a Gmail address, the communication was fluent, idiomatic, and included apparent State Department colleagues copied on the exchange. Giles, a seasoned expert on Russia and espionage, was usually wary but was eventually deceived by the professionalism and persistence over nearly two weeks.

Giles provided an app-specific password—a credential that grants third-party app access but can bypass regular password protections—thus exposing his account.

Alphabet’s Google attributed the attack to the Russian government, citing similarities to prior campaigns. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to inquiries. Giles described the operation as seamless, with no obvious red flags even in hindsight.

Cybersecurity researchers from Citizen Lab noted the attack’s fluency might indicate the use of advanced AI, such as large language models, to craft convincing messages—marking a significant upgrade from typical error-ridden phishing attempts. They also pointed out that the hackers exploited the lack of error messages when sending emails to fake State Department addresses.

This sophisticated social engineering attack highlights evolving cyber threats where even cautious experts can be deceived by carefully orchestrated campaigns.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the incident.

Second Italian Journalist Targeted with Paragon Spyware, Citizen Lab Reports

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Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog group, has revealed that a second Italian journalist was targeted by Paragon spyware, escalating concerns over a surveillance scandal involving the Italian government and the U.S.-owned spyware company. The new report disclosed that Ciro Pellegrino, an investigative journalist at Fanpage, had his iPhone infected with Paragon’s sophisticated spyware.

Pellegrino joins Francesco Cancellato, Fanpage’s editor-in-chief, who earlier confirmed he was targeted by Paragon technology following WhatsApp alerts in January. Fanpage has been critical of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, notably exposing links between the ruling party’s youth wing and neo-Nazi activities, which has intensified controversy after allegations of surveillance on its journalists surfaced.

The Italian government and Paragon recently announced an end to their collaboration but gave conflicting accounts over who initiated the split. Paragon stated it had offered Italian officials tools to verify if its spyware was used against Cancellato, but these offers were reportedly declined. Italian authorities have not commented on the Citizen Lab findings.

Pellegrino described the spyware discovery as “horrible,” emphasizing that his phone holds deeply personal and professional data, including journalistic sources. This revelation casts doubt on the thoroughness of a recent Italian parliamentary investigation, which confirmed Paragon’s spyware use by Italian intelligence against migrant rescue activists but found no evidence of targeting Fanpage journalists.

Human rights advocate Natalia Krapiva of Access Now called for a reevaluation of the investigation, stating the new findings seriously question its adequacy. Opposition Democratic Party spokesperson Sandro Ruotolo demanded the parliamentary panel reopen its probe, seeking answers on why two journalists were surveilled.

Citizen Lab also disclosed that an unnamed European journalist was targeted with Paragon spyware but provided no further details. The parliamentary panel has reserved the right for further investigations but has not commented on the recent report.

Meta’s WhatsApp Reveals Paragon Spyware Targeted Users in Over 24 Countries

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WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, disclosed that Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions targeted its users in two dozen countries, including journalists and members of civil society. The company revealed that approximately 90 users were compromised through a zero-click hack, which did not require any user interaction to install spyware. WhatsApp has since sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon and disrupted the hacking efforts, working with the Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab and informing law enforcement. The spyware, often sold to governments, has been found on the devices of activists, journalists, and politicians, raising alarms over the proliferation of surveillance tools. While Paragon claims to operate ethically, the latest revelations suggest otherwise.