We will never be safe. Not a day goes by that we don’t wake up to the news of new software that puts all the data stored on our smartphone at risk . Today we know that hacking tools from an Italian company, similar to Pegasus, were used to spy on Apple and Android phones in different regions of Europe.
It has been Google itself, through Alphabet Inc, who alleges that the Milan-based company RCS Lab developed tools to spy on private messages and contacts on target devices, similar to what has happened with Pegasus, the tool through which the telephones of different personalities of the national governments have been spied on.
While it is true that the RCS Lab tool may not be as stealthy as the one that caused so much controversy in our country, it can still read messages and see passwords of “attacked” users, said Bill Marczak, a security researcher at the watchdog. digital Citizen Lab. It can also be used to gain control of smartphones , record audio, redirect calls, and collect data such as contacts, messages, photos, and location.
“This shows that while these devices are ubiquitous, there is still a long way to go to protect against these powerful attacks.”
An espionage that does not understand platforms
Much has been said about the fact that iPhone devices are much safer than mobile phones that work with Google’s operating system, but, once again, it is shown that when there is malicious activity behind it, everything is possible and that, even if you work with Android or with iOS, it is difficult to be safe.
Before Google’s accusations, RCS Lab said its products and services comply with European standards and help law enforcement agencies investigate crimes. “RCS Lab staff are not exposed to or involved in any activities conducted by clients of their tools” . In addition, he added that he condemned any abuse of his products.
Google notes that spyware spreads by getting victims to click on links in messages sent to targets. It works by overriding the smartphone’s data connectivity, and, once disabled, sends a malicious link via SMS asking the target to install an app to recover their data connectivity. The attacker impersonates a mobile internet service provider, sending these links pretending to be from phone manufacturers or messaging apps to trick people into clicking.
In any case, the American company informs that it has already taken measures to protect the users of its operating system and warned them about the spyware, known as Hermit . Similarly, the Internet giant states that “Providers are allowing the proliferation of dangerous hacking tools and arming governments that could not develop these capabilities internally” . In addition, an Apple spokesperson said that the company had revoked all known accounts and certificates associated with this hacking campaign.
