A collection of bitcoin tokens stand in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. The electronic coin that trades and is regulated like oil and gold surged 79 percent since the start of 2016 to $778, its highest level since early 2014. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The University of Toronto recently published a report which said that the Egyptian government has been using illegal means to keep an eye on cryptocurrency mining. According to the report, they target their own citizens and hack into their internet connections to gather such data.
It is being said that Sandvine/Procera devices are being used to carry out this activity and by doing so the government has been raising money through affiliate ads and crypto mining.
How Does It Work?
AdHose is a technique through which the hack is performed. It redirects users to a malware program that displays ads and conducts crypto mining and monitoring.
Who Is Vulnerable?
People who are using the Turk Telecom Network are vulnerable to this hack, however, the Egyptian government and Sandvine company denied all accusations. The Sandvine company even stated that it has no ties to the Egyptian government.
However, there are a number of incidents that point to the ties between the company and the Egyptian government. Also, there are 16 Sandvine-Procera employees that have an Egyptian connection, as per their LinkedIn profiles.
The Bottomline
There are many occasions where Egypt and Procera were found to be involved in the mix and it is high time that the concerned authorities look into the problem and make sure that common internet users aren’t under surveillance.
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