The US Is Buying Phone Hacking Tools For Ghana’s Police

The State Department is purchasing some very specific phone hacking tools that it plans to turn over to the Ghanaian police force to assist the country’s investigations into international crime.

The department released a solicitation Dec. 7 for phone hacking tools and hardware that are interoperable with tools used by the department and other US agencies. Once purchased, the department will donate those tools through the US Embassy in Accra to the Ghana Police Service’s cyber investigative unit.

“This will allow the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement to accomplish its foreign assistance mission in Ghana to build the capacity of law enforcement to combat transnational organized crime, such as cybercrime that directly affects Americans,” according to the sole-source justification document.

The State Department is looking for a small business able to provide specific hacking tools.

The department is looking for a UFED Ultimate 4PC application developed by Cellebrite, the company that gained notoriety for being able to crack the iPhone used by a mass shooter in San Bernardino, California, in 2015, ending a legal standoff between the FBI and Apple.

The tool must be able to do several tasks, including bypassing security for Android devices, including HTC, Motorola and the Samsung Galaxy S, SII and SIII; data extraction and decoding for BlackBerry devices running OS 4-7 and Nokia BB5 devices; data extraction from any device running Windows phone 7.5 or 8; and decryption of trip logs for TomTom navigation devices.

The solicitation also asks for UltraBlock forensic kits, used as adapters to connect to any kind of device that needs cracking without compromising the device or the information stored within.

“Successful digital forensic investigations start by acquiring evidence from a wide array of modern and legacy storage devices,” according to the website for Digital Intelligence, UltraBlock’s manufacturer. “Be prepared for any forensic acquisition you’ll face.”

Current and former federal cybersecurity and acquisition officials who reviewed the solicitation noted to Nextgov that these tools have been used by nation-states for offensive operations around the globe.

According to the sole-source justification, these tools have been used by Ghanaian forensic examiners in the past, as well as by US agencies, prompting the State Department to look for the same to ensure interoperability.

Questions on the solicitation are due by 11 a.m. Jan. 4. Bids are due by 11 a.m. Jan. 14.

Defense One:

You Might Also Read:

How To Hack the Hackers: The Human Side Of Cybercrime

« Audit Finds Cyber Vulnerabilities In US Missile Defense System
Beware Of Cyber Criminals Demanding Payments In Bitcoin »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

Authentic8

Authentic8

Authentic8 transforms how organizations secure and control the use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

RIVA Solutions

RIVA Solutions

RIVA provides innovative best practices in IT and management consulting, program support services and emerging technologies.

Optimal IdM

Optimal IdM

Optimal IdM is a leading global provider of identity management solutions and services.

PrimaTech

PrimaTech

PrimaTech provide process safety, cyber and process security, and risk management consulting, training and software for the process industries.

Certus Software

Certus Software

Our Secure Data Erasure solutions protect customer data confidentiality by completely erasing it from data storage devices.

Niksun

Niksun

Niksun's forensics-based cyber security and network performance monitoring products provide customers with actionable insight into security threats, performance issues, and compliance risks.

TrustInSoft

TrustInSoft

TrustInSoft develops solutions that validate mission-critical software and eliminate attack vectors.

Havelsan

Havelsan

HAVELSAN is a leading technology company in Turkey developing indigenous systems for domestic and foreign military, public and private sector clients.

Stairwell

Stairwell

Stairwell is building a new approach to cybersecurity around a vision that all security teams should be able to determine what’s good, what’s bad, and why.

Pragma Strategy

Pragma Strategy

Pragma is a CREST approved global provider of cybersecurity solutions. We help organisations strengthen cyber resilience and safeguard valuable information assets with a pragmatic approach.

Nineteen Group

Nineteen Group

Nineteen Group delivers major-scale exhibitions within the security, fire, emergency services, health and safety, facilities management and maintenance engineering sectors.

CERT.JE

CERT.JE

CERT.JE is responsible for promoting and improving the cyber resilience across the critical national infrastructure, business communities and citizens in Jersey.

Grindstone Ventures

Grindstone Ventures

Grindstone Ventures is a post-seed fund that supports post-seed equity and quasi-equity investments in early-stage innovation-driven and/or technology companies.

Seraphic Security

Seraphic Security

Seraphic Security provides attack protection to enable safe browsing for employees or contractors, as well as advanced governance controls to enforce enterprise policies across devices.

Fletch

Fletch

Fletch’s AI tracks the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape by reading and interpreting every threat article every day and matching those threats to a company’s exposure.

Evolver

Evolver

Evolver delivers technology services and solutions that improve security, promote innovation, and maximize operational efficiency in support of government and commercial customers.

AppSentinels

AppSentinels

Appsentinels are a group of security and technology experts with a mission to fix gaps in application security.