Israeli spyware used to hack across 10 countries, Microsoft and watchdog say

The entrance to an office listed as belonging to Quadream is seen in a high rise building in Ramat Gan, Israel, January 25, 2022. REUTERS/Nir Elias

An Israeli firm's hacking tools have been used against journalists, opposition figures and advocacy organizations across at least 10 countries - including people in North America and Europe - according to new research published Tuesday by Microsoft Corp and the internet watchdog Citizen Lab.

Citizen Lab said in its report that it had been able to identify a handful of civil society victims whose iPhones had been hacked using surveillance software developed by the Israeli company, QuaDream Ltd - a lower-profile competitor to the Israeli spyware company NSO Group, which has been blacklisted by the U.S. government over allegations of abuse.