The world might be turning to technology to solve everything from traffic to dating, but no app or gadget can stop the rich and famous from falling foul of cyberattacks. As Harry battles against a newspaper publisher, in court, over phone-hacking allegations, our experts look at what makes the UHNW so vulnerable.
Tech giants spend millions of dollars every year to protect their top executives from all kinds of physical threats. Facebook allocated almost $20 million in 2018 for protecting CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his family at his residences and during travel. In 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook started using private jets paid for by the company because of safety concerns.
But when a report found that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked, it shifted attention to how high-profile people protect their cybersecurity.
Companies looking to protect their leaders have started paying more attention to digital security over the past two years with many focusing on teaching executives how to spot fraudulent work emails. Some smartphones use software that spots and removes malware, as well as web filtering tools that prevent employees from accessing websites that could be harmful. But firms can absolutely do more.
There is no such thing as the perfect tech control against cyberattacks, instead prevention is generated through awareness, training and the right professional, security advice. But high-profile individuals are often more vulnerable because they have less time for training despite being exposed to more attacks. Ultimately, the one thing that the rich and famous can’t buy are phones that are more secure than the average with the level of technology having become so advanced that there is no special class of phone that only the elite have access to.
When it comes to potential hacking cases of the high profile, often hacking is not the real issue at all – rather a leak is to blame.
In the case of Prince Harry, what seems to have occurred was a hack in its simplest form. Evidence indicates that passwords for voice messages were not set up, meaning that phone numbers could easily be spoofed, in order to call the messaging service and listen to sensitive material.
There are a myriad aspects that could have made Harry vulnerable and below is an outline of some of the core elements and methods that may have contributed to him being successfully targeted.
- Government level / Pegasus software.
The holy grail of phone hacking is known as a zero-day exploit with no interaction. A zero-day exploit is one that has gone unnoticed thus far, meaning that the vulnerability cannot be tackled as the target has had “zero days” to resolve it. This is a valuable commodity in the world of hacking and is actively sought after by governments, as well as vendors such as Apple.
The other strand to this form of attack is to avoid user interaction. In this case, the objective is to send something to the target’s phone that does not require the user to interact with it, for example by clicking on a link. This is challenging to facilitate which makes it a rarely adopted approach. Even in the case of Jeff Bezos, he was still required to click on a link for the hack to be successful. The issue with this approach is that it is not particularly covert and can therefore be traced.
- Malicious software
The process of sending someone malicious software via email to their computer has been a popular choice for hackers over the years. However, more recently, it has become more difficult to get right due to increased awareness levels and the implementation of Two Factor Authentication which is mandatory as part of many corporate organisations today.
- The presence of a listening device
Listening devices are covert pieces of equipment that can be positioned in a target’s vehicle, property or workspace. They work by recording sound, usually within a 300-900 foot range, and transmitting it to a computer in another location. As the name suggests, they are small microphones that pick-up sounds with clarity. They are difficult to detect as they are small and can be hidden almost anywhere. Because they give off a high-pitch frequency and often require power, listening devices are usually found inside domestic electrical products and appliances. Some tell-tale signs of a listening device in the home include buzzing or ringing sounds, the unusual placement of moveable objects, and damage done to electrical devices and sockets. If the device is hardwired, wires might be partially visible.
- Vehicle tracking
Vehicle tracking is a common, effective method of intelligence gathering and is simple to deploy. That said it can be relatively easy to find. Common locations include under the hood, in the trunk, on the undercarriage or inside wheel wells.
- Surveillance
Surveillance is another common tactic used to facilitate hacking as it is a useful way to gain intelligence on a tactic and monitor their movements. This might simply incorporate the use of strategically positioned cameras alongside, in some cases, a team of trained individuals.
- Rubbish collections
In the early stages of a potential hacking, anything that can provide clues on your daily routine or life pattern is invaluable to the attacker. The more you make available to them the easier it is for them to hit you in a variety of different ways whether it’s through accessing your phone number, email address or shopping and travel receipts.
From aggressive counter-surveillance measures, ideal for big corporations, to milder ad-hoc sweeping activities, designed for the individual who simply wants peace of mind, our counter-surveillance and TCSM team offers advanced and professionals bug sweeping service covering offices, homes, hotels, meeting rooms, vehicles, jets and yachts. Should anything suspicious be identified, we will discuss with you and provide full reports on any discoveries – helping you make informed decisions on how to move forward safely.