Did the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia really hack into Jeff Bezos' phone?

It sure looks that way, based on a forensic analysis of what happened after a video was sent to the Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner via WhatsApp by Mohammed bin Salman, a.k.a. MBS. A United Nations report this week called the incident part of a broader campaign against the Washington Post seeking to stifle its coverage of Saudi Arabia, allegedly including the subsequent killing of Saudi dissident and Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Within hours of receiving the nefarious video, "a massive and unauthorized exfiltration of data from Bezos' phone began, continuing and escalating for months thereafter," according to the forensic report. 

It's an extraordinary demonstration of the perils of digital communication. But what else was leaked from the phone, and why didn't Bezos and his team have better security protocols in place at the time? That's our first topic on the show this week.

RELATED READING: Decoding the Jeff Bezos phone hack: What the rest of us can learn from the forensic report

Plus, an NFL quarterback invents a new way of interacting with a Microsoft Surface tablet on the sidelines, a new glimpse of the Microsoft Duo dual-screen device, and Seattle startup Mystery teams up with the famed Gottman Institute to rekindle romance. We explain what this partnership says about Mystery's larger business model.

And finally, listen to the end for the answer to last week's trivia question: What do Jonas Salk, who discovered and developed the polio vaccine, and John Ehrlichman, the Nixon aide and Watergate figure, have in common as it relates to Seattle startups?

Next event:Join us at the GeekWire Awards, March 26 at MoPOP in Seattle.

Did the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia really hack into Jeff Bezos' phone?
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/jeff-bezos-phone-hack-u-n-calls-immediate-investigation-saudi-crown-princes-involvement/">It sure looks that way</a>, based on <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6668313/FTI-Report-into-Jeff-Bezos-Phone-Hack.pdf">a forensic analysis</a> of what happened after a video was sent to the Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner via WhatsApp by Mohammed bin Salman, a.k.a. MBS. <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25488&amp;LangID=E">A United Nations report this week</a> called the incident part of a broader campaign against the Washington Post seeking to stifle its coverage of Saudi Arabia, allegedly including the subsequent killing of Saudi dissident and Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Within hours of receiving the nefarious video, "a massive and unauthorized exfiltration of data from Bezos' phone began, continuing and escalating for months thereafter," according to the forensic report.&nbsp;
It's an extraordinary demonstration of the <a href="Decoding%20the%20Jeff%20Bezos%20phone%20hack:%20What%20the%20rest%20of%20us%20can%20learn%20from%20the%20forensic%20report">perils of digital communication</a>. But what else was leaked from the phone, and why didn't Bezos and his team have better security protocols in place at the time? That's our first topic on the show this week.
RELATED READING: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/decoding-jeff-bezos-phone-hack-rest-us-can-learn-forensic-report/">Decoding the Jeff Bezos phone hack: What the rest of us can learn from the forensic report</a>
Plus, an NFL quarterback invents <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/swipe-right-nfl-quarterback-shows-nose-unique-way-use-microsoft-surface/">a new way of interacting with a Microsoft Surface tablet</a> on the sidelines, a <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/videos-heres-browsing-microsofts-dual-screen-surface-duo-phone-will-work/">new glimpse of the Microsoft Duo dual-screen device</a>, and Seattle startup Mystery <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/seattle-startup-connects-famed-love-institute-rekindle-relationships-around-eight-dates/">teams up with the famed Gottman Institute to rekindle romance</a>. We explain what this partnership says about Mystery's larger business model.
And finally, listen to the end for the answer to last week's trivia question: What do Jonas Salk, who discovered and developed the polio vaccine, and John Ehrlichman, the Nixon aide and Watergate figure, have in common as it relates to Seattle startups?
Next event: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-awards-2020/">Join us at the GeekWire Awards</a>, March 26 at MoPOP in Seattle.

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

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