Mollitiam Industries, a Spanish spyware maker based in Toledo, has closed its doors following financial troubles. The company’s downfall, first reported by Intelligence Online, was confirmed by official business records showing that it filed for bankruptcy on January 23. Despite its role in the spyware industry, Mollitiam Industries had remained relatively unknown, with little to no public attention compared to more prominent companies like Hacking Team and NSO Group. Operating quietly, the company preferred secrecy, typical of many vendors in the spyware industry, who avoid publicity due to the sensitive nature of their work.
Unlike its better-known counterparts, Mollitiam Industries operated under the radar, avoiding much English-language media coverage, particularly due to its location in Spain and its limited international involvement. The company was only thrust into the spotlight in 2021, after a brochure was discovered, revealing their development of two spyware products: Invisible Man and Night Crawler. These tools were designed to covertly extract data from devices, including capturing messages from apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, activating cameras and microphones, stealing passwords, and logging keystrokes.
This revelation marked the first significant exposure of the company to the wider public.
In 2020, Mollitiam Industries was linked to a scandal in Colombia, where its products were reportedly used in surveillance and intimidation campaigns against journalists at the magazine Semana. The surveillance, allegedly carried out by Colombia’s military intelligence agency, was aimed at journalists who had published critical investigations into the country’s military. The campaign included digital spying and physical threats, such as sending tombstones to the journalists. One source claimed that a military intelligence officer offered a bribe to introduce malware into the computers of Semana journalists to gain access to their information.
At the time of the company’s closure, Mollitiam Industries’ website was still active, though the company did not respond to inquiries. Publicly available information indicated that the company employed between 11 and 50 people. Despite its low profile and limited media attention, Mollitiam Industries’ closure underscores the challenges faced by smaller spyware vendors, which often operate in secrecy to avoid legal and public scrutiny.
