VERY IMPORTANT

This research note outlines what we know about the use of Hacking Team’s Remote Control System (RCS) by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The note synthesizes information found in publicly leaked materials, as well as our own research. The data available in the leaked Hacking Team files provides circumstantial evidence pointing to an interest in compromising individuals with ties to South Korea (i.e., Korean language speakers who use software or apps popular in South Korea, or South Korean editions of Samsung phones). The leaked data alone cannot identify specific individuals targeted by NIS, nor prove misuse of the technology; further investigation and research is necessary to make those determinations. Moreover, the presence of intrusion software does not necessarily equate to its misuse, as such software may be utilized by intelligence or law enforcement agencies in a manner that conforms with rule of law and democratic principles.