STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 4, 2020 firewalls used in Circles deployments 34. This scanning enabled the organisation to identify Circles deployments in at least 25 countries, Zambia included, as shown in the graphic below: 35 According to the Citizen Lab revelations, because of SS7’s lack of authentication 36 , any attacker that interconnects with the SS7 network (such as an intelligence agency, a 34 According to Citizen Lab, Circles is a surveillance firm that reportedly exploits weaknesses in the global mobile phone system to snoop on calls, texts, and the location of phones around the globe. Circles is affiliated with NSO Group, which develops Pegasus spyware. Circles, whose products work without hacking the phone itself, reportedly say they sell only to nation-states. The report states that according to leaked documents, Circles customers can purchase a system that they connect to their local telecommunications companies’ infrastructure, or can use a separate system called the “Circles Cloud,” which interconnects with telecommunications companies around the world. See the full report at https://citizenlab.ca/2020/12/runningin-circles-uncovering-the-clients-of-cyberespionage-firm-circles/ 35 Source: Citizen Lab titled “Running in Circles Uncovering the Clients of Cyberespionage Firm Circles”. Available at https://citizenlab.ca/2020/12/running-in-circles-uncovering-the-clients-of-cyberespionage-firmcircles/ 36 SS7 is a set of protocols allowing phone networks to exchange the information needed for passing calls and text messages between each other and to ensure correct billing. It also allows users on one network to roam on another, such as when travelling in a foreign country. Read more at P a g e 36 | 56