Hack of Egyptian Politician’s iPhone Tied to Tech Firm Sandvine
- Company equipment has previously been used to censor internet
- Sandvine says it doesn’t collaborate with spyware vendors
Sandvine makes equipment, known as “deep packet inspection” technology, that can be used to manage massive flows of internet traffic passing between networks.
Photographer: George Frey/Getty ImagesAttempts to hack the iPhone of a presidential candidate in Egypt have been linked to the computer networking company Sandvine Inc., whose equipment has previously been used by Belarus and other countries to censor the internet.
Ahmed Eltantawy, a prominent opposition politician, was repeatedly targeted with spyware between May and September after he announced his plans to run in Egypt’s 2024 presidential elections, according to an analysis from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. After conducting a forensic examination of the device, the researchers concluded with “high confidence” that the Egyptian government was behind the attempted hacks.