European Parliament finds spyware on phones of defence committee members
22 February 2024 05:45
Spyware was found on the devices of members of the European Parliament’s defence subcommittee. This was reported by Politico, citing an internal email, according to 
Initially, the spyware was found on one of the subcommittee members during a routine inspection. After that, all the committee’s lawmakers were urged to check their phones.
“In the current geopolitical context and given the nature of the files monitored by the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, special attention is being paid to the devices of members of this subcommittee and the staff that support its work,” the letter reads,
– the letter reads.
It is not yet known how the malware was installed on the devices of the subcommittee members.
“The members and staff of the House Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) have been attacked with intrusive surveillance software on their phones. All lawmakers on the subcommittee have been advised to take their phones to the office’s IT department to be checked for spyware,”
– Politico reported.
The parliament’s IT service launched a system to check MPs’ phones for spyware in April 2023. Since the launch of the programme, hundreds of scans have been performed.
In December 2023, the European Parliament acknowledged that the security measures do not meet industry standards and are not sufficiently protected against the threat of cybercriminals. The European Parliament is currently preparing for possible foreign cyberattacks amid the upcoming elections in June 2024.
