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Category — spyware malware
Powerful FinSpy Spyware Found Targeting iOS and Android Users in Myanmar

Powerful FinSpy Spyware Found Targeting iOS and Android Users in Myanmar

Jul 10, 2019
One of the most powerful, infamous, and advanced piece of government-grade commercial surveillance spyware dubbed FinSpy —also known as FinFisher —has been discovered in the wild targeting users in Myanmar. Created by German company Gamma International, FinSpy is spying software that can target various mobile platforms including iOS and Android, we well as desktop operating systems. Gamma Group reportedly sells its controversial FinSpy espionage tool exclusively to government agencies across the world, but also gained notoriety for targeting human rights activists in many countries. The FinSpy implant is capable of stealing an extensive amount of personal information from targeted mobile devices, such as SMS/MMS messages, phone call recordings, emails, contacts, pictures, files, and GPS location data. In its latest report published today, Kaspersky researchers revealed a cyber-espionage campaign that involves targeting Myanmar users with the latest versions of FinSpy impl
ISPs May Be Helping Hackers to Infect you with FinFisher Spyware

ISPs May Be Helping Hackers to Infect you with FinFisher Spyware

Sep 21, 2017
Are you sure the version of WhatsApp, or Skype, or VLC Player installed on your device is legitimate? Security researchers have discovered that legitimate downloads of several popular applications including WhatsApp, Skype, VLC Player and WinRAR have reportedly been compromised at the ISP level to distribute the infamous FinFisher spyware also known as FinSpy. FinSpy is a highly secret surveillance tool that has previously been associated with British company Gamma Group, a company that legally sells surveillance and espionage software to government agencies across the world. The spyware has extensive spying capabilities on an infected computer, including secretly conducting live surveillance by turning ON its webcams and microphones, recording everything the victim types with a keylogger, intercepting Skype calls, and exfiltration of files. In order to get into a target's machine, FinFisher usually uses various attack vectors, including spear phishing, manual installat
5 Actionable Steps to Prevent GenAI Data Leaks Without Fully Blocking AI Usage

5 Actionable Steps to Prevent GenAI Data Leaks Without Fully Blocking AI Usage

Oct 01, 2024Generative AI / Data Protection
Since its emergence, Generative AI has revolutionized enterprise productivity. GenAI tools enable faster and more effective software development, financial analysis, business planning, and customer engagement. However, this business agility comes with significant risks, particularly the potential for sensitive data leakage. As organizations attempt to balance productivity gains with security concerns, many have been forced to choose between unrestricted GenAI usage to banning it altogether. A new e-guide by LayerX titled 5 Actionable Measures to Prevent Data Leakage Through Generative AI Tools is designed to help organizations navigate the challenges of GenAI usage in the workplace. The guide offers practical steps for security managers to protect sensitive corporate data while still reaping the productivity benefits of GenAI tools like ChatGPT. This approach is intended to allow companies to strike the right balance between innovation and security. Why Worry About ChatGPT? The e
More than 1,000 Spyware Apps Found On Android App Stores

More than 1,000 Spyware Apps Found On Android App Stores

Aug 11, 2017
If you think you are downloading apps from Google Play Store and you are secure, then watch out! Someone has managed to flood third-party app stores and Google Play Store with more than a thousand malicious apps, which can monitor almost anything a user does on their mobile device from silently recording calls to make outbound calls without the user's interaction. Dubbed SonicSpy , the spyware has been spreading aggressively across Android app stores since at least February and is being distributed by pretending itself to be a messaging app—and it actually offers a messaging service. SonicSpy Can Perform a Whole Lots of Malicious Tasks At the same time, the SonicSpy spyware apps perform various malicious tasks, including silently recording calls and audio from the microphone, hijacking the device's camera and snap photos, making outbound calls without the user's permission, and sending text messages to numbers chosen by the attacker. Besides this, the SonicSpy sp
cyber security

2024 State of SaaS Security Report eBook

websiteWing SecuritySaaS Security / Insider Threat
A research report featuring astonishing statistics on the security risks of third-party SaaS applications.
Hacking Team and Boeing Built Cyber Weaponized Drones to Spy on Targets

Hacking Team and Boeing Built Cyber Weaponized Drones to Spy on Targets

Jul 20, 2015
The leaked internal emails from the Italian surveillance software company Hacking Team have revealed that the spyware company developed a robotic aircraft designed to attack computers and smartphone devices through Wi-Fi networks. Over a year ago, some security researchers developed a drone called ' Snoopy ' that was capable to intercept data from users' Smartphones through spoofed wireless networks. Now, the email conversations posted on WikiLeaks website reveal that both Boeing and Hacking Team want unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) called Drones to carry out attacks that inject spyware into target computers or mobile phones via WiFi. After attending the International Defense Exposition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi in February 2015, the U.S. drone company Boeing subsidiary Insitu become interested in using surveillance drones to deliver Hacking Team's Remote Control System Galileo for even more surveillance. Among the emails, co-founder Ma
Espionage Campaign targets iOS devices with Malware apps

Espionage Campaign targets iOS devices with Malware apps

Feb 05, 2015
A malware campaign has been found targeting iOS devices linked to a wide range of entities, including European defense organizations, governments, and media sectors with dangerous espionage spyware capable of breaching non-jailbroken devices, a recent report claims. The spyware campaign, dubbed " Operation Pawn Storm " by security experts, was first detected on Windows computers late last year, but has now made its way to iOS devices , a report by security researchers at TrendLabs noted. The researchers linked the campaign to the Russian government. XAGENT SPYWARE APP One of the two spywares used in the campaign is actually an application, the firm dubbed the app XAgent, that attempts to install and run on iOS devices. " The XAgent app is fully functional malware ," the researchers noted . " The exact methods of installing these malware is unknown; however, we do know that the iOS device doesn't have to be jailbroken ... We have seen one in
Ubuntu Linux is a spyware ?

Ubuntu Linux is a spyware ?

Dec 08, 2012
Creator of the GNU Project & Free Software Foundation's Leader Richard Stallman has called out Ubuntu as being "spyware". Why ?  Because the operating system sends data to Ubuntu maker Canonical when a user searches the desktop. How ? Due to the Amazon search capabilities that have been integrated into Ubuntu's  Unity desktop environment with the Dash. First introduced in Ubuntu 12.10. Surveillance Program ?  Stallman equates the Amazon search integration into the Ubuntu desktop as having installed surveillance code. He said, " Ubuntu, a widely used and influential GNU/Linux distribution, has installed surveillance code. When the user searches her own local files for a string using the Ubuntu desktop, Ubuntu sends that string to one of Canonical's servers. (Canonical is the company that develops Ubuntu.) " Stallman's post , " The ads are not the core of the problem ," " The main issue is the spying. Canonical says it doe
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