After years of being dominated by outsiders, the computer surveillance software industry is booming in the United States as investors rush into the ethically dodgy but highly lucrative field. The Atlantic Council think tank reported that US investment in surveillanceware rocketed in the last year and identified 20 new US investors, and noted the number of resellers is also rapidly increasing.
Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, the head of Amnesty International's security lab, suggested attackers used the flaws in a highly specialized attack, which from past experience suggests that a commercial surveillanceware vendor is using it in highly targeted attacks against specific individuals. Surveillanceware is supposed to be used against state criminals but is also used against journalists, human rights campaigners, and anyone else certain governments don't like.