Mollitiam Industries, a Spanish spyware company based in Toledo, has shut down due to financial difficulties. Despite its low profile, the company has come under scrutiny for its involvement in the surveillance of journalists in Colombia.
In 2020, a Colombian news magazine reported that the country’s military intelligence agency had used Mollitiam Industries’ spyware, known as “Invisible Man,” to monitor journalists who were investigating corruption. According to the magazine, the company was offered a substantial sum to provide the malware.
While Mollitiam Industries has not commented on the allegations, evidence suggests that the company played a role in the Colombian surveillance scandal. A contract between the National Army of Colombia and Mollitiam Industries shows that the military purchased the “Invisible Man” system for approximately $900,000.
The spyware was designed to bypass antivirus software and infect an unlimited number of devices remotely or via USB drives. It also allowed military officers to access encrypted communications, such as WhatsApp and Telegram calls.
In 2021, Mollitiam Industries gave a talk at a conference for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The company admitted that end-to-end encryption was hindering surveillance efforts and emphasized the need to use malware to compromise devices and access communications.
Despite its operations continuing until at least the end of 2023, Mollitiam Industries’ activities have drawn attention from Amnesty International. The organization’s Security Lab identified the company’s Windows samples and command and control server, which was publicly accessible online.
The closure of Mollitiam Industries highlights the growing presence of spyware companies in Spain, particularly in Barcelona. Foreigners from countries like Italy and Israel are often involved in founding these startups, recruiting security researchers to develop sophisticated surveillance tools.
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