Abuse of Spy Software Discovered
May 17, 2013
A recent article from Business Insider reports that there is a large body of evidence supporting the idea that governments are using sophisticated spy software. ”This Powerful Spy Software is being Abused by Governments Around the World” has the details on the report and findings by The Citizen Lab, a digital research lab at University of Toronto that has found this software is being used against groups like human rights activists.
The report is called “For Their Eyes Only: The Commercialization of Digital Spying” and zeroes in on surveillance software called FinSpy. This technology remotely scans webmail and social media networks in real time. Additionally it collects encrypted data.
According to the article:
In December 2011 WikiLeaks began publishing FinFisher brochures and videos, which tout the software as enabling governments to monitor targets who ‘regularly change location, use encrypted and anonymous communication channels, and reside in foreign countries.’ Another remarkable thing about the FinSpy, Jean Marc Manach of OWNI notes, is that it can take control of any major operating system while none of the top 40 antivirus systems can recognize it.
There are 36 countries that host FinFisher Command and Control Servers including the United States. During the end of Mubarak’s rule, dissidents found a contract from Gamma mentioning a $380,000 license to run the software for five months. In addition to governments, we wonder what companies use FinFisher as well.
Megan Feil, May 17, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
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