A proliferation of hostile cyber capabilities has already enabled more states, gangs and individuals to develop the ability to hack and spy online, according to the National Cybersecurity Centre's (NCSC) latest report.
The NCSC – a part of GCHQ – warned that thousands of people are being targeted each year by hackers using surveillance software, which it described as posing an unpredictable threat.
The report highlights that 80 countries have purchased cyber intrusion software over the past 10 years. This included off-the-shelf capability, which the report described as "hacking-as-a-service" as well as hacking services, dubbed "hackers-for-hire".
The agency stressed that the sophistication of these commercial products is as effective as some of the tools developed by nation-states. It added that some nations have "almost certainly" used the technology to target journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents and opponents...