Mozilla fears DarkMatter ‘misuse’ of browser for hacking

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Firefox browser-maker Mozilla is considering whether to block cybersecurity company DarkMatter from serving as one of its internet security gatekeepers after a Reuters report linked the United Arab Emirates-based firm to a cyber espionage program. While Mozilla had been considering whether to grant DarkMatter the authority to certify websites as safe, two Mozilla executives said in an interview last week that Reuters’ report raised concerns about whether DarkMatter would abuse that authority. Marshall Erwin, director of trust and security for Mozilla, said the Reuters Jan. 30 report had raised concerns inside the company that DarkMatter might use Mozilla’s certification authority for “offensive cybersecurity purposes rather than the intended purpose of creating a more secure, trusted web.”

Source: in.reuters.com