Cyprus: Surveillance firm pays $1 million fine after ‘spy van’ scandal

The Office of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection in Cyprus has collected a $1 million fine from intelligence company WiSpear for gathering mobile data from various individuals arriving at the airport in Larnaca. While this is just an administrative Read More …

New PhoneSpy Android Spyware Poses Pegasus-Like Threat

Researchers discovered new Android spyware that provides similar capabilities to NSO Group’s Pegasus controversial software. Called PhoneSpy, the mobile surveillance-ware has been spotted activity targeting South Koreans without their knowledge. PhoneSpy disguises itself as a legitimate application and gives attackers Read More …

Mobile phishing attacks targeting energy sector surge by 161%

Mobile phishing attacks targeting employees in the energy industry have risen by 161% compared to last year’s (H2 2020) data, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Although the perils of outdated and vulnerable devices plague all Read More …

Qualcomm Bugs Open 40 Percent of Android Handsets to Attack

Six serious bugs in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile chipset impact up to 40 percent of Android phones in use, according research released at the DEF CON Safe Mode security conference Friday. The flaws open up handsets made by Google, Samsung, LG, Read More …

More pre-installed malware has been found in budget US smartphones

Pre-installed malware has been discovered on another budget handset connected to Assurance Wireless by Virgin Mobile. Back in January, cybersecurity researchers from Malwarebytes discovered unremovable malware bundled with the Android operating systems on the Unimax (UMX) U686CL, a low-end handset sold by Read More …

Simjacker attack exploited in the wild to track users for at least two years

Security researchers have disclosed today an SMS-based attack method being abused in the real world by a surveillance vendor to track and monitor individuals. “We are quite confident that this exploit has been developed by a specific private company that Read More …

‘Domestic Kitten’ Mobile Spyware Campaign Aims at Iranian Targets

Spreading via fake Android apps, the malware lifts a range of sensitive information from victims’ devices. A mobile spyware campaign against mainly Iranian citizens has been spotted – with evidence that the Iranian government might be involved. The operation is Read More …