Hack-for-Hire Group Targets Journalists in MENA with Spyware

A hack-for-hire group known as BITTER has run a sustained spear-phishing campaign since at least 2022 targeting journalists and activists across the Middle East and North Africa. Attackers compromised Apple, Microsoft, and Google accounts and are linked to the deployment of Android spyware; reporting suggests the group may have ties to government clients, highlighting concerns about outsourcing of surveillance and threats to press freedom.