Patcay.com – In a startling twist of events, the visionary behind the notorious spyware enterprise Hacking Team, David Vincenzetti, found himself in handcuffs on Saturday. Reports indicate that Vincenzetti stands accused of stabbing a relative in an attempted murder, leading to his arrest.
The incident unfolded when police responded to a call from Vincenzetti’s cousin, who, concerned for his wife’s welfare, sought help as he couldn’t establish contact with her. According to sources, the woman was at Vincenzetti’s residence, caring for him due to his reported psychological issues. Allegedly, Vincenzetti assaulted the woman, leaving her unconscious when the authorities arrived.
During the court appearance, Vincenzetti avoided discussing the incident and instead delved into a disjointed monologue about his work and companies.
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This prompted the judge to order an examination of his mental health status, as reported by La Stampa. Additionally, the judge decided to detain Vincenzetti as a precautionary measure.
For inquiries or additional information regarding this incident or Hacking Team’s past activities, we encourage you to reach out. Securely contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via Signal at +1 917 257 1382, Telegram, Keybase, and Wire @lorenzofb, or email lorenzo@techcrunch.com. TechCrunch can also be reached via SecureDrop.
A telephone operator at Milan’s San Vittore prison, where Vincenzetti is reportedly held, declined to confirm his detainment or facilitate communication with any detainee when contacted by TechCrunch.
Vincenzetti had largely remained out of the public eye since 2020 when he announced the demise of Hacking Team on his LinkedIn account. A year prior, he had sold the company, which had undergone rebranding as Memento Labs.
Hacking Team pioneered the development and sale of spyware to governments, initially in Italy and subsequently worldwide. At its zenith, the company boasted approximately 40 government clients, including Spain, Hungary, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Colombia, Ecuador, South Korea, and Malaysia.
After operating discreetly for years, revelations surfaced that nations like Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia employed Hacking Team’s tools to target and compromise journalists and dissidents.
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The company consistently defended itself, asserting that it adhered to legal guidelines in its sales and disclaimed responsibility for the actions of its customers.
In 2015, a shadowy hacktivist known as “Phineas Fisher” infiltrated Hacking Team, exposing thousands of internal emails and, critically, the source code of its spyware.
This catastrophic breach led to key developers departing the company, a temporary halt in product usage, a loss of customers, rebranding attempts, a partial sale to Saudi investors, and ultimately a change in ownership.