Ryan Gallagher

Ryan Gallagher

@rjgallagher.co.uk

Investigative reporter @Bloomberg.com covering technology & cybersecurity. Anonymous tips: https://tips.hushline.app/to/ryan Email: ryan@rjgallagher.co.uk Signal/WhatsApp: +44 737-678-6842

4.1K followers419 following62 posts

Ryan Gallagher reposted

Patrick Howell O’Neill
@patrickhowelloneill.com

NEW: US Cyber Command is grappling with an unusually high number of personnel deaths by suicide this summer including members of one of the command’s elite units. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comAmerica’s Cyber Forces Grapple With Cluster of Deaths by SuicideThe US military’s cyberwarfare unit is scrutinizing an unusually high number of deaths by suicide among personnel over a month-long period this summer, according to government officials and other peop...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

The iPhone of a Greek politician was repeatedly hacked by NSO Group's Pegasus spyware while he was working on a European Parliament investigation into NSO & other surveillance technology sellers, new research from @citizenlab.ca uncovers: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comGreek Politician Investigating Spyware Had Mobile Phone HackedThe mobile phone of a Greek politician was repeatedly hacked by spyware while he was working on a European Parliament investigation into sellers of the surveillance technology, new research has found.

Ryan Gallagher reposted

Sophie in't Veld
@sophieintveld.bsky.social

Surveillance technology exported illegally from the EU to undemocratic regimes around the world. The @ec.europa.eu flatly refuses to enforce the Dual Use Regulation banning this kind of exports. Impunity in Europe means complicity in human rights violations. Report by @rjgallagher.co.uk

Ryan Gallagher@rjgallagher.co.uk

Documents reveal that a European company linked to Israeli spyware seller NSO Group has been exporting surveillance technology to government agencies in repressive countries for years, despite EU regulations intended to curb such sales: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comCircles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States, Report SaysA Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communi...

Ryan Gallagher reposted

Human Rights Watch
@hrw.org

HRW investigation shows the Bulgarian government licensed exports of surveillance equipment to countries that were likely to use it for internal repression or to commit serious human rights violations ⤵️ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comCircles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States, Report SaysA Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communi...
Ryan Gallagher@rjgallagher.co.uk

Documents reveal that a European company linked to Israeli spyware seller NSO Group has been exporting surveillance technology to government agencies in repressive countries for years, despite EU regulations intended to curb such sales: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comCircles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States, Report SaysA Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communi...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Documents reveal that a European company linked to Israeli spyware seller NSO Group has been exporting surveillance technology to government agencies in repressive countries for years, despite EU regulations intended to curb such sales: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comCircles Sold Phone Spy Tools to Repressive States, Report SaysA Bulgaria-based company sold controversial surveillance technology to governments in countries with records of repression, enabling authorities to track mobile phones and eavesdrop on private communi...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to gain access to controversial Israeli spyware designed to hack phones & read private messages after Trump administration jettisons Biden-era order: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comICE to Gain Access to Paragon Spyware After Biden Order DroppedUS Immigration and Customs Enforcement is on track to gain access to controversial spyware designed to hack phones and read private messages after the Trump administration jettisoned a Biden-era order...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: Microsoft curbs Chinese companies’ access to info on cybersecurity vulnerabilities after investigating whether a leak led to a global hacking campaign that exploited flaws in its SharePoint software: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comMicrosoft Curbs Early Access for Chinese Firms to Notifications About Cybersecurity FlawsMicrosoft Corp. has curtailed Chinese companies’ access to advance notifications about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in its technology after investigating whether a leak led to a series of hacks explo...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: Microsoft is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in SharePoint before they were patched, enabling a global campaign of cyberattacks, according to people familiar: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comMicrosoft Probing If Chinese Hackers Learned of Flaws Via AlertMicrosoft Corp. is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in its SharePoint service before they were patched, acc...
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Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Victims of the SharePoint attacks, which were first detected on July 7, now total more than 400 government agencies and corporations worldwide, including the US's National Nuclear Security Administration, the division responsible for designing and maintaining the country's nuclear weapons.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: Microsoft is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in SharePoint before they were patched, enabling a global campaign of cyberattacks, according to people familiar: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comMicrosoft Probing If Chinese Hackers Learned of Flaws Via AlertMicrosoft Corp. is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in its SharePoint service before they were patched, acc...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Microsoft has attributed SharePoint breaches to state-sponsored hackers from China, and at least a dozen Chinese companies participate in the alert sharing initiative, called the Microsoft Active Protections Program, or MAPP.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Some of the Chinese companies that are involved in MAPP are also members of a Chinese government vulnerability reporting program, the China National Vulnerability Database, which is operated by the country’s Ministry of State Security.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

A whistleblower shared 1 million two-factor authentication codes that had been sent to people by SMS from the world's largest tech companies, such as Google, Meta, & Amazon. We found the codes had been routed via an obscure Swiss company with links to spy agencies: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comHow a Tiny Middleman Could Access Two-Factor Login Codes From Tech GiantsAn investigation into the complexity of the global telecom system shows weaknesses in the transmission of secret codes sent via SMS.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Initial probe into cause of power outages in Spain & Portugal today suggests fault rather than cyberattack, according to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). “For the moment the investigation seems to point out to a technical/cable issue,” a spokesperson for the agency tells me.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Portugal's National Cybersecurity Centre says: "There is no evidence to date pointing to a cyberattack. We would like to draw attention to the circulation of disinformation that occurs in these situations, and we therefore advise that every information should be confirmed with reliable sources."

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: US cuts to foreign aid are impacting Ukraine's cybersecurity. Dozens of people have had to stop work protecting the country from Russian hackers & shipments of vital cyber equipment have stopped, according to people familiar with the situation: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comUS Aid Pullback is Making Ukraine More Vulnerable to Russian HacksAmerican cybersecurity assistance has been crucial to helping war-torn country fend off hacks, experts say.
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Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

The end result is that Ukraine's digital front lines are weaker now, making the country an “easy target” for Russia, said Yegor Aushev, a Kyiv-based cybersecurity expert. The “sudden & unannounced shutdown” of cyber operations, he said, “has created a significant challenge.”

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: US cuts to foreign aid are impacting Ukraine's cybersecurity. Dozens of people have had to stop work protecting the country from Russian hackers & shipments of vital cyber equipment have stopped, according to people familiar with the situation: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comUS Aid Pullback is Making Ukraine More Vulnerable to Russian HacksAmerican cybersecurity assistance has been crucial to helping war-torn country fend off hacks, experts say.
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Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Andrii Mankish, a Ukrainian cybersecurity expert who worked on US-funded projects to identify Russian hacking attempts, said the US's cyber pullback was likely to “impact our efforts & slow down progress in key areas.” Long-planned cybersecurity projects had suddenly ended, he said.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

“Many projects were stopped halfway, contractors were let go before finishing their work, & a lot of plans didn’t get the chance to reach their full potential,” Mankish said.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: US cuts to foreign aid are impacting Ukraine's cybersecurity. Dozens of people have had to stop work protecting the country from Russian hackers & shipments of vital cyber equipment have stopped, according to people familiar with the situation: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comUS Aid Pullback is Making Ukraine More Vulnerable to Russian HacksAmerican cybersecurity assistance has been crucial to helping war-torn country fend off hacks, experts say.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

US cybersecurity assistance had included specialist support, training, equipment & software to organizations across Ukraine, including to dozens of government offices & departments & to key gas & electricity providers, the national bank & nuclear facilities such as Chernobyl.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

That work is now paused & it's unclear whether it will resume -- Ukrainians say they have been left in the dark. Equipment & services that were to be provided to the country for ongoing initiatives, such as a project to strengthen the country’s central election commission, are now not going ahead.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

A UK court has blocked the UK government's attempt to keep secret a legal case over its demand to access Apple users' encrypted data. Judges said in a ruling Monday that authorities’ efforts were a “fundamental interference with the principle of open justice”: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comUK Effort to Keep Apple Encryption Fight Secret Blocked in CourtA court has blocked a British government attempt to keep secret a legal case over its demand to access Apple Inc. user data in a victory for privacy advocates.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

US national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation & cyberattacks. Initiative had involved at least seven agencies working w/ European allies to disrupt plots targeting Europe & the US, Reuters reports: www.reuters.com/world/us-sus...

reuters.comExclusive: US suspends some efforts to counter Russian sabotage as Trump moves closer to PutinSeveral U.S. national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration pushes Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Researchers find evidence suggesting spyware from Israeli firm Paragon has been obtained by Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark & Singapore. The technology - used to hack phones & read private msgs - was recently linked to hacks of Italian journalists & activists: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comParagon Spyware Tool Linked to Canadian Police, Watchdog SaysA Canadian law enforcement agency is suspected to have used spyware designed to hack into mobile phones and eavesdrop on messages, according to cybersecurity researchers from the University of Toronto...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: Cybersecurity experts who worked to secure US government computers from Russian & Chinese hackers have been ousted from their roles following pressure from DOGE. One senior official resigned in protest over move sources say has created "massive security gaps": www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comDHS Workers Tasked With Curbing Hacks Ousted in DOGE SqueezeCybersecurity experts who worked to secure US government computers from Russian and Chinese hackers have been ousted from their roles following pressure from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Effic...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Swedish authorities investigate damaged cable discovered in the Baltic Sea between Germany & Finland, the latest in a string of similar incidents that have heightened fears of Russian sabotage & spying in the region: apnews.com/article/swed...

apnews.comSweden is investigating a damaged cable in the Baltic SeaSwedish authorities say they are investigating a damaged cable that was discovered in the Baltic Sea, the latest in a string of recent incidents of ruptured undersea cables that have heightened fears ...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Apple pulls encrypted data storage feature from UK after government backdoor demand. Development comes after Apple criticized “unprecedented overreach" of UK surveillance powers: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comApple Removes Cloud Encryption Feature From UK After Backdoor OrderApple Inc. is removing its most advanced, end-to-end encrypted security feature for cloud data in the United Kingdom, in a stunning development after the government ordered the company to build a back...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Trump admin reassigns or forces out several dozen government employees who had been working to fight foreign interference in US elections. Among those targeted were people safeguarding elections from cyberattack: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/b...

nytimes.comTrump Dismantles Government Fight Against Foreign Influence OperationsThe Trump administration has reassigned or forced out several dozen government employees who had been working to fight foreign interference in U.S. elections at multiple agencies, according to current...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

New: A cyberattack by a Russian gang that paralyzed hospitals and clinics in London last year resulted in harm to dozens of patients, leading to long-term or permanent damage to their health in at least two cases, according to data obtained by Bloomberg News: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comNHS Ransomware Hack Caused Patient Harm in UK, Data ShowsA cyberattack that paralyzed hospitals and clinics in London last year resulted in harm to dozens of patients, leading to long-term or permanent damage to their health in at least two cases, according...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Extraordinary sleuthing here that identifies prominent neo-Nazi accounts on X as being run by, among others, a JPMorgan Chase vice president in Texas & a guy who works at a US Navy center in Maryland that manufactures explosives: www.texasobserver.org/revealed-ope...

texasobserver.orgRevealed: the Operators Behind Four Major Neo-Nazi X AccountsAnonymity has long been a tactic used by extremists to spread their ideology while avoiding social consequences, from Klansmen hoods to online pseudonyms.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Important recent study from @citizenlab.ca finds Amazon censoring books in countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, on LGBTIQ & other issues. Company "violating its public commitments to both LGBTIQ & more broadly human rights", researchers say: citizenlab.ca/2024/11/anal...

citizenlab.caBanned Books: Analysis of Censorship on Amazon.com - The Citizen LabWe analyze the system Amazon deploys on the US “amazon.com” storefront to restrict shipments of certain products to specific regions. We found 17,050 products that Amazon restricted from being shipped...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

US telecommunications companies still working to remove state-sponsored Chinese hackers from their networks after spying campaign uncovered, US officials say: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.comChinese Hackers Are Lingering Inside Telecom Firms, US SaysUS telecommunications companies are still working to kick out state-sponsored Chinese hackers who breached their networks as part of a spying campaign that dates back months, US officials said Tuesday...
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Some remarkable details emerging from UK trial of an alleged Russian spy ring. Allegedly directed by fugitive former Wirecard executive turned Kremlin agent Jan Marsalek, group used women as honeytraps, targeted prominent journalists & dissidents: news.sky.com/story/russia...

news.sky.comRussian spies in love triangle were to be used in 'honeytrap' operation across Europe, court hearsA spy ring in the UK passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years, endangering the national interest and putting "many lives at risk", a court has been told.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

When police raided the alleged UK-based ringleader Orlin Roussev's home in Great Yarmouth they found a haul of hundreds of phones, SIM cards, hard drives, recording devices & drones. He also had wifi hacking equipment, signal jammers & 75 passports & identity documents in 55 individuals' names.

Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Chinese vessel suspected of deliberately severing two critical European data cables last week by dragging anchor along the Baltic seabed for 100 miles. Probe assessing whether ship's captain induced by Russian intelligence to engage in sabotage: www.wsj.com/world/europe...

wsj.comExclusive | Chinese Ship’s Crew Suspected of Deliberately Dragging Anchor for 100 Miles to Cut Baltic CablesNATO warships have surrounded Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier at the center of an international probe into suspected sabotage.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

Another cyberattack on UK's national health service, this time the victims are a group of hospitals in north west England. Outpatient appointments cancelled, doctors locked out of IT systems: www.computerweekly.com/news/3666164...

computerweekly.comFurther disruption expected after latest NHS cyber attack | Computer WeeklyIT and security teams at Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust continue to work around the clock following a major cyber incident, with services disrupted and no timeline for resolution.
Ryan Gallagher
@rjgallagher.co.uk

FBI investigates Exxon Mobil consultant over alleged hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics: www.reuters.com/business/ene...

reuters.comExclusive: Exxon lobbyist investigated over hack-and-leak of environmentalist emails, sources sayThe FBI has been investigating a longtime Exxon Mobil consultant over the contractor's alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics, according to three people familiar with the matter.