# Agencies Face Ad-Tech Spyware Risks

Researchers reported that targeted online ads were used to deliver zero-click spyware, linking the ads to at least 45 targeted devices at Al Jazeera. The ads appeared across more than 120,000 websites and 70,000 mobile apps between March and June; Google and IAB Europe have since removed ad-tech facilitator Discover-Tech from their vendor registries. Although the reporting identifies no solicitation or contract award, it highlights an operational and supply-chain security risk for agencies and contractors that use digital advertising or rely on advertising technology in their communications and services.

- Procurement and security teams can evaluate how advertising platforms and intermediaries are selected, accessed, and reviewed as part of supplier risk assessments.
- Contractors supporting government communications or digital services should assess exposure to third-party ad-tech infrastructure and its potential to deliver malicious content.
- The removal of Discover-Tech from the registries is a concrete vendor-screening consideration; the signals do not identify a new mandate or a specific compliance deadline.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Information Technology, Defense & Military
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 15, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

### Vendors
- Discover-Tech (Ad-tech facilitator whose advertising infrastructure was used to distribute spyware)
- Candiru (Mercenary spyware firm linked with high confidence to attacks delivered through Discover-Tech ads)
- Confiant (Ad security firm that investigated Discover-Tech ad activity)
- Bindecy (Mercenary hacking firm connected to Discover-Tech)
- Intelos (Mercenary ad intelligence firm connected to Discover-Tech)

### Key Quotes
> Digital advertising is broken. The way the online advertising ecosystem works today is a security threat for states, the private sector, civil society and everyone else alike.
> — Wolfie Cristl, Senior Researcher at The Citizen Lab

### Sources
- [AdFection: How mercenary spyware invades victims’ devices through targeted advertising | CyberScoop](https://cyberscoop.com/adfection-zero-click-spyware-discover-tech) - CyberScoop