Intellexa and Predator: The Global Reach of Israeli Surveillance Software

The article reports on the Israeli cyber intelligence company Intellexa, founded by former intelligence officer Tal Dilian, which developed the Predator spyware used to monitor mobile phones across the globe. The author cites research by international organizations and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) that expose how Intellexa employed malicious digital ads as infection vectors capable of compromising devices even without user interaction. Once a phone was infected, attackers could fully access the device’s camera, microphone, emails, messages, GPS, photos, and browsing history. Despite being sanctioned twice by the U.S. government in 2024, Intellexa has allegedly continued to operate, rebranding Predator under names like Helios, Nova, Green Arrow, Red Arrow, and Aladdin.

The report notes that Intellexa’s methods have evolved to exploit advertising systems, a growing strategy known as Adint (advertising intelligence), which several governments now use for covert surveillance. Amnesty International has warned that these ad-based attacks could proliferate as users become more cautious of unknown links and zero-click exploits remain expensive. According to Google’s threat analysis group, Intellexa is responsible for about 15 out of 70 documented zero-day exploits discovered since 2021. The article portrays Israel as a central actor in the global surveillance industry, describing the country’s transition from being accused of terrorism to becoming a hub of digital espionage technology with wide international influence.