Hacked emails show Hong Kong's ICAC sought encryption-cracking surveillance software
Hacking attack on notorious surveillance company reveals messages that show watchdog wanted software to read encrypted devices
The ICAC has been drawn into a global hacking controversy after leaked emails showed graft-busters sought the services of an Italian online surveillance company notorious for helping governments - including those with poor human rights records - intercept citizens' computer and phone data.
The revelations surfaced after Milan-based cybersecurity firm Hacking Team last week became the victim of a cyberattack in which hackers breached the company's servers and downloaded more than 400 gigabytes of documents.
The hackers then hijacked the company's official Twitter account and published the information. Wikileaks released more than a million company emails.
Among the documents is an email conversation between Simon Tse Yiu-keung, a principal investigator with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and Daniel Maglietta, the head of Hacking Team's Singapore branch.
The emails date to June last year and start with an introduction from Tse.
"We are interested in your Galileo remote control system in particular for mobile phone," the email from Tse said.