Citizen Lab links Cellebrite to the hacking of a Kenyan presidential candidate’s phone

Source: Cyberscoop

Researchers have found forensic evidence suggesting that Kenyan authorities used Cellebrite’s phone-cracking technology on the device of a prominent human rights activist after arresting him, according to a report published Feb. 16. The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the intrusion is a sign of growing abuse of Cellebrite’s technology. According to the report, after his widely criticized arrest in July amid mass protest, Boniface Mwangi noticed that his personal phone no longer required a password to access. The government initially suggested it might pursue terrorism charges, but later backed away from that and instead filed lesser offenses. After the incident, Mwangi gave his phone to Citizen Lab for forensic analysis. The group said it found evidence of Cellebrite’s use, potentially to extract data from his device. Full Story