Ethiopia in US trouble over spying

From ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

October 26, 2016
ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News)– ETHIOPIA is likely to be held accountable in the United States for an illegal malware and digital spying attack on an American citizen.

The Maryland man, only identified as Mr Kidane to protect his identijty, had his home computer infected by state-sponsored malware, which recorded his private Skype calls, monitored his web searches and emails. It tracked his family’s use of the computer for weeks.

Forensic analysis showed the information was surreptitiously sent to a secret server located in Ethiopia and controlled by the Ethiopian government.

“The fact that Ethiopia used software instead of a person to launch a wiretap attack against Kidane in no way allows the country to evade legal liability,” Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney, Nate Cardozo, said.

The invasion of the victim’s privacy of the man who is Ethiopian by birth and a US citizen is part of a crackdown on dissenting voices with Kidane having worked with activists back in Ethiopia.

Malicious digital surveillance and malware attacks against perceived political opponents, suspected dissidents and journalists have become all-too-common tactics used by Ethiopia.