As 2013 edges to a close, reports of the NSA’s widespread surveillance capabilities have reached new heights of absurdity.
A report from Der Spiegel on Sunday highlighted the NSA’s elite hacking unit, which directly targets corporate networks and can even place spyware on devices while they’re being shipped to recipients. Yesterday, security researcher Jacob Applebaum and Der Spiegel blew the lid off another NSA program, dubbed “DROPOUTJEEP,” which gives the agency fully control of Apple’s iPhone.
Once the NSA’s malware is on an iPhone, the agency can access just about any data on the device, including text messages, contact lists, geolocation history, and voicemail, according to leaked a leaked NSA document. It can also remotely enable the iPhone’s camera and microphone.