Although WikiLeaks recently appeared to have insufficient resources to release more data, the organisation has managed to publish a cache of documents, known as the 'spy files', detailing the interception of civilian communications by governments and other organisations.

The announcement on the WikiLeaks website reads "It sounds like something out of Hollywood, but as of today, mass interception systems, built by Western intelligence contractors, including for 'political opponents' are a reality."

The cache of 287 files has been released in order to expose companies who track mobile phone devices, use Trojans to infiltrate computers, SMS monitoring and GPS tracking to report on the movement and communication of civilians.

Companies who specialize in this type of work are often based in more economically developed countries, but their technologies are exported across the globe, so that dictatorial and democratic governments alike can observe their citizens, according to WikiLeaks.

This map shows how the data looks on a global scale, displaying the amount of firms that specialise in this kind of activity country by country and showing their exports.

Most of the documents date from 2006 to 2011, but still provide an insight into an industry that remains mostly unknown to the public, but that generates "billions of dollars per year".

Despite the release of these files, the organisation still finds itself in a difficult position. A documentary made by The Guardian newspaper, entitled 'The Guardian Documentary' WikiLeaks: Secrets and Lies' aired yesterday in the UK, the same day that Nick Davies gave damning testimony against WikiLeaks in the Leveson inquiry. Davies said the paper had "a huge problem with the WikiLeaks stuff", as "it rapidly became apparent that it contained information that could get people on the ground in Afghanistan seriously hurt" on account of the information they were publishing. This is yet another part of what WikiLeaks describes as a "war" of publicity between the two organisations.

The release of the cache also comes just days before the final judgment on the extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, is heard in the High Court in London.

Sources: The Guardian, Mashable, WikiLeaks (1), (2), (3)