Europeans’ health data sold to U.S. firm run by ex-Israeli spies
The European messaging service Zivver – which is used for confidential communication by governments and hospitals in the EU and the U.K. – has been sold to Kiteworks, an American company with strong links to Israeli intelligence. Experts have expressed deep concerns over the deal.
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What’s the news?
- With the sale of Amsterdam-based data security company Zivver, sensitive information about European citizens is now in the hands of Kiteworks.
- The CEO of the American tech company is a former cyber specialist from an elite unit of the Israeli army, as are several other members of its top management.
- Various institutions in Europe and the U.K. – from hospitals to courts and immigration services – use Zivver to send confidential documents. While Zivver says these documents are encrypted, an investigation by Follow the Money shows that the company is able to read their contents.
Why does this matter?
- Cybersecurity and intelligence experts told Follow the Money that the takeover should either have been prevented or properly assessed in advance.
- Zivver processes information that could be extremely valuable to third parties, such as criminals or foreign intelligence services.
- That information is now subject to invasive U.S. law, and overseen by a company with well-documented links to Israeli intelligence.
How was this investigated?
- Follow the Money investigated the acquisition of Zivver and the management of Kiteworks, and spoke to experts in intelligence services and cyber security.
This article is part of an ongoing series.
The EU FilesWhen the American data security company Kiteworks bought out its Dutch industry peer Zivver in June, CEO Jonathan Yaron described it as “a proud moment for all of us”.
The purchase was “a significant milestone in Kiteworks’ continued mission to safeguard sensitive data across all communication channels”, he added in a LinkedIn post.
But what Yaron did not mention was that this acquisition – coming at a politically charged moment between the U.S. and the EU – put highly sensitive, personal data belonging to European and British citizens directly into American hands.
Zivver is used by institutions including hospitals, health insurers, government services and immigration authorities in countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the U.K.
Neither did Yaron mention that much of Kiteworks’ top management – himself included – are former members of an elite Israeli Defence Force unit that specialised in eavesdropping and breaking encrypted communications.
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In Israel, there is a revolving door between the army, lobby, business and politics
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