It now appears that the Milan-based company Hacking Team has, contrary to denials, licensed its Remote Control System (RCS) computer spyware to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense.

The revelation came after a massive leak of the Italian cyber-surveillance firm.

According to a report published on July 8 in Meydan TV, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense purchased a license for Hacking Team's Remote Control System (RCS) surveillance spyware via a California-based intermediary called Horizon Global Group in 2013 for an initial payment of €320,000. 

Founded in 2003, Hacking Team describes itself as an “ethical hacking” firm specializing in “offensive IT security”. In a 2008 presentation released by Wikileaks, the company claimed its RCS software – the software it has covertly provided the Azerbaijani government since 2013 – is capable of secretly “logging any action performed by means of a personal computer … or smartphone”.

The leaked documents confirm that Hacking Team has sold RCS to the security services of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Turkey, Egypt, Bahrain, Russia, Sudan, and others.

CORRECTION: Due to inconsistencies in Hacking Team's internal documents, this article originally identified the Azerbaijani client as the Ministry of Defense. The actual client was the Ministry of National Security.