Nowhere to Hide: Real Talk About Digital Surveillance in 2025
I was having coffee with a colleague last week when they casually mentioned something that made me choke on my latte. Their company had just discovered spyware on their CFO's phone—not because they were looking for it, but because their quarterly security audit happened to catch it. The kicker? It had been there for at least six months.
"The scariest part wasn't finding it. It was realizing that we would never have known otherwise."
This Isn't Your Grandmother's Malware
Remember when digital threats meant clicking suspicious links or downloading sketchy email attachments? Those were simpler times.
The surveillance tech making headlines today is in another league entirely. Take that WhatsApp vulnerability from a few months back—Paragon's Graphite spyware was sending innocent-looking PDFs through group chats that infected devices automatically. No clicks. No downloads. Just poof—your phone's compromised, and you'd never know.
Or consider Pegasus, NSO Group's notorious surveillance tool. Once it's on your device, it's essentially game over—full access to messages, emails, photos, location data, and they can even remotely activate your camera and microphone. Originally sold to governments to fight terrorism (at least that was the pitch), it's been found on the devices of journalists, activists, and business leaders across dozens of countries.
A security expert at Klavan puts it bluntly: "We're not being paranoid enough. The stuff we're seeing today makes old-school viruses look like playground pranks."
Corporate Espionage: Not Just for the Movies
The recent lawsuit between Rippling and Deel is straight out of a corporate thriller—allegations of an employee acting as a "spy," stealing internal documents, and secretly meeting with competitors. But this isn't Hollywood; it's happening in boardrooms and Slack channels right now.
"The reality is that most companies are completely unprepared," says a cybersecurity consultant I spoke with. "They're worried about external hackers but not thinking about the person who already has legitimate access to their systems."
When I asked what companies like Klavan are doing about these threats, the answer was refreshingly honest: "There's no silver bullet. Anyone promising complete protection is lying to you." Instead, it's about layers of security, constant vigilance, and accepting that perfect security doesn't exist.
Human Intelligence Perspective
Neil Bisson, Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network and retired CSIS Intelligence Officer, provides crucial insight into the often-overlooked human element of surveillance.
"In my years at CSIS, I learned that technological sophistication means nothing without understanding the human factor," Bisson explains. "The corporate world is now experiencing what intelligence agencies have known for decades—HUMINT operations frequently complement technical surveillance, and often with devastating effectiveness."
According to Bisson, corporate attackers routinely employ social engineering techniques that exploit trust rather than technical vulnerabilities. "I've seen cases where months of security investment were undone by a convincing phone call or a friendly face at a conference," he notes. "These aren't random attacks—they're calculated operations that target specific individuals based on their access and influence."
What makes these attacks particularly dangerous is how they circumvent technical security measures. "Your organization can implement end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and advanced threat detection," Bisson warns, "but if someone convinces your system administrator that they're from IT support and need urgent access, none of that matters."
Bisson emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs: unusual information requests, unexpected interest from strangers in your work, or colleagues exhibiting sudden behavior changes. "In intelligence work, we train operatives to spot these indicators. The corporate world needs to adopt similar awareness."
Inside the Surveillance Ecosystem: Field Perspectives
Andrew Amaro, Ex-Operative and Founder/CHSO at Klavan Security, draws from his years running offensive security operations to provide a ground-level view of today's threats.
"I've witnessed firsthand how surveillance capabilities have democratized," Amaro states. "What was once exclusive nation-state technology now sits in commercial catalogs accessible to corporate competitors and private intelligence firms."
The cases we're seeing—like the Paragon spyware deployment against Italian journalists or the alleged corporate espionage between Rippling and Deel—reflect this new reality. The barriers to sophisticated surveillance have collapsed. During his tenure tracking threat actors, Amaro observed mid-tier companies deploying capabilities that would have required millions in R&D just five years earlier.
For executives and high-value targets, the threat landscape has fundamentally changed. The WhatsApp zero-day exploitation demonstrates how everyday communication channels become vectors for compromise. Most concerning is what Amaro calls "the attribution problem"—when targeted with these tools, determining whether you're facing a competitor, a nation-state, or criminal enterprise becomes nearly impossible.
"Technical defenses alone won't protect you," Amaro emphasizes. "The most successful operations I ran never required breaking encryption or exploiting software vulnerabilities. Instead, they leveraged human relationships, routine behavior patterns, and operational security mistakes. A CEO who uses the same device for personal and business communications creates a single point of failure no technical solution can address."
The most effective countermeasures mirror intelligence tradecraft: device compartmentalization, communication discipline, and environmental awareness. "When I trained field operatives," Amaro explains, "we emphasized that security isn't about preventing all compromise—it's about making targeting you sufficiently costly and complex that adversaries choose easier targets."
The Ontario Provincial Police and RCMP cases highlight a critical reality: even with judicial oversight, surveillance capabilities expand in silence until public discovery forces accountability. For corporate security, the lesson is clear—assume capability exists and focus on reducing your visible value as a target while maintaining constant vigilance for the human elements of surveillance operations.
The Canadian Angle: Protection... In Theory
On paper, Canadians should feel pretty good about legal protections against surveillance. The law requires judicial authorization for intercepting communications, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure.
But the reality is more complicated. Documents show the RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police have been using advanced spyware tools, often with minimal oversight. Ron Deibert, who heads Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, has been sounding the alarm about this for years. His research team recently uncovered links between Ontario's provincial police and Paragon Solutions—the same company behind that WhatsApp zero-day exploit.
"There's a culture of secrecy that pervades the intelligence and law enforcement community in this country," Deibert noted in his findings. He describes the spyware used by police as "nuclear-level technology" but points out that it has little government oversight.
Neil Bisson offers an important counterpoint from his time at CSIS: "Within Canada's intelligence service, we went through rigorous approval steps, court hearings, and warrant creation phases to ensure we were being checked and verified at all steps when using these invasive tools. These protocols were specifically designed to prevent abuse and maintain the privacy and protection of the Canadian people."
According to Bisson, the targets of such surveillance were not chosen lightly. "Those targeted had extensive intelligence and evidence against them, warranting the use of these tools to further confirm their dangerous or illegal behavior. These measures allowed local authorities to interrupt planned activities that would otherwise lead to deaths and destruction of the public."
This contrast between CSIS protocols and current police practices highlights the need for consistent standards. A parliamentary committee called for updated privacy laws back in 2021, but meaningful reform is still nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, police agencies continue to expand their surveillance capabilities, with Ontario's provincial police now linked to the same Paragon spyware that exploited WhatsApp.
Solutions: From DIY to Professional Protection
When facing threats this sophisticated, what options do individuals and organizations have? The landscape of solutions ranges from open-source tools anyone can use to comprehensive protection programs.
Open Source Options: Mobile Verification Toolkit
For those who want to take a hands-on approach, the Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT) offers a free, transparent way to check if your device has been compromised. Developed and released by Amnesty International's Security Lab in 2021 during their investigation into the Pegasus Project, MVT facilitates consensual forensic analysis of Android and iOS devices.
The tool looks for indicators of compromise by examining device logs, network activity patterns, and filesystem anomalies that might suggest the presence of spyware. While it requires some technical knowledge to use effectively, MVT provides clear documentation and is actively maintained by security researchers.
"Tools like MVT are essential for democratizing security," says a digital rights advocate I spoke with. "Not everyone can afford enterprise-grade protection, but everyone deserves to know if they're being surveilled."
Enterprise Solutions: Klavan's Comprehensive Protection
Klavan's Executive Protection Program
For organizations with more resources or higher-risk profiles, Klavan's Mobile Executive Protection solution stands out with its comprehensive approach that combines cutting-edge technology with human intelligence expertise.
"What makes our approach different is that we don't just look for malware—we anticipate it," explains a Klavan security advisor. Their flagship solution includes:
Hardened Device Architecture: Custom-configured mobile and computing devices with proprietary security enhancements that dramatically reduce attack surfaces
Continuous Monitoring: 24/7 real-time threat detection and response capabilities powered by AI-enhanced analysis of device behavior
Secure Communications Infrastructure: End-to-end encrypted channels for sensitive discussions that operate independently of potentially compromised networks
Regular Penetration Testing: Scheduled attempts to breach client security by Klavan's own offensive security team, ensuring defenses remain effective
Digital Forensics: Advanced capabilities to detect, analyze, and remediate sophisticated implants like those used in the Rippling case
What truly sets Klavan apart is their partnership model with former intelligence professionals like Neil Bisson. "By combining our technical capabilities with the human intelligence expertise of former CSIS officers like Neil, we've created a security approach that addresses both the digital and human elements of modern threats," says Klavan's Director of Strategic Partnerships.
Enhanced by Intelligence Community Expertise
This partnership enriches Klavan's offerings with specialized services including:
Executive Threat Awareness Training: Sessions where Bisson and other former intelligence officers share real-world techniques used to target high-value individuals
Social Engineering Simulations: Controlled attempts to gain unauthorized access through human rather than technical means, revealing vulnerabilities traditional security audits would miss
Travel Security Protocols: Comprehensive protection for executives traveling to high-risk regions, informed by intelligence community experience
Counter-Intelligence Briefings: Regular updates on emerging threat actors and methodologies specifically targeting the client's industry
"Technology alone can't address the full spectrum of threats facing today's executives," notes a Klavan senior security advisor. "By partnering with experts like Neil who bring decades of intelligence community experience, we provide a level of protection that's simply unavailable elsewhere in the market."
The approach recognizes that protection isn't just about technology—it's about changing behavior. Executives using the service receive regular briefings on emerging threats and practice sessions for high-risk scenarios like international travel or major business negotiations.
So What Can You Actually Do?
I asked several security experts this exact question, expecting a pitch for their services. Instead, I got practical advice:
"First, assume compromise is possible, even likely. That changes how you communicate about truly sensitive matters. Sometimes the most secure option is not digital at all."
For executives and high-profile individuals, they recommend:
Regular security audits by independent experts (not just your IT team)
Dedicated devices for sensitive communications
Physical security for devices when traveling (yes, that includes hotel rooms)
Treating security as an ongoing process, not a one-time fix
For businesses, they suggest:
Creating clear protocols for handling sensitive information
Building a security culture where employees understand the stakes
Regular training that goes beyond "don't click suspicious links"
Establishing communication channels for reporting security concerns
The Necessary Balance: Why Governments Need These Tools
Before concluding, it's important to address a complex reality that Neil Bisson emphasizes from his intelligence background: "While we rightfully focus on the potential for abuse, we must acknowledge that without these offensive capabilities in the hands of legitimate governments, we would be at the mercy of criminal actors who develop and deploy these tools regardless of legal frameworks."
Bisson explains that intelligence and security agencies face sophisticated adversaries who don't play by any rules. "Criminal organizations, terrorist networks, and hostile foreign intelligence services all invest heavily in surveillance technology. If democratic governments unilaterally disarmed in this domain, the asymmetry would create devastating security vulnerabilities."
This doesn't excuse improper use or lack of oversight, but it explains why these tools exist in government arsenals. "The goal isn't to eliminate these capabilities," says Amaro, "but to ensure they're used with appropriate constraints, transparency, and accountability—the exact approach we took at CSIS and that we now implement for our private sector clients at Klavan."
What makes democratic use of these tools different is precisely the oversight, warrants, and approval processes that Bisson described. The challenge isn't banning the technology but ensuring it remains in responsible hands with proper guardrails—a continuous balancing act between security needs and privacy rights.
The Human Element
What struck me most in these conversations wasn't the technology—it was how much security still comes down to people. The most sophisticated surveillance tools in the world still rely on human error, social engineering, or insider access.
As my colleague told me while finishing their coffee, "We spent millions on security systems but got compromised because someone in finance thought they were talking to our CEO."
Maybe that's both the most concerning and most hopeful part of this story. Technology can protect us, but only if we recognize that the human element matters just as much as the technical one.
In a world where your digital life can be laid bare without your knowledge, perhaps the best protection is a healthy dose of awareness combined with the right expertise. Companies like Klavan are part of the solution, but so is each of us—being more conscious about our digital lives and the information we share.
After all, in 2025, the most dangerous assumption might be that you have nothing to hide.
Written by Neil Bisson and Andrew Amaro
For more information on, contact our team at executive.protection@klavansecurity.com.