The hacking tools of an Italian company were used to spy on Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan, Google reports. Check out the details here.
In a shocking development, it has been revealed that your iPhone and Android phones are at risk. According to the information, a tool has been developed to spy on personal messages and contacts of the target devices. Google Alphabet Inc. has said in a report that the hacking tools of an Italian company were used to spy on Apple Inc. and Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan. According to the report, Milan-based RCS Lab, whose website claims European law enforcement as customers, developed tools to spy on private messages and contacts from target devices. However, Google said it had taken steps to protect users of its Android operating system and alerted them to the spyware.
“These vendors are allowing the proliferation of dangerous tools of piracy and arming governments that could not develop these capabilities internally,” Google said. According to a Reuters report, commenting on the issue, an Apple spokesman said the company had revoked all known accounts and certificates associated with this piracy campaign. RCS Lab said its products and services meet European standards and help law enforcement agencies investigate crimes.
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In addition, Reuters was informed by email: “RCS Lab staff are not exposed to or participate in any activity performed by relevant customers.” RCS Lab further said it condemned any abuse of its products.
It can be known that the global spyware industry for governments has been growing, with more companies developing interception tools for law enforcement. Anti-surveillance activists accuse them of helping governments that in some cases use these tools to repress human rights and civil rights, Reuters said in a report.
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According to the report, the industry came under global focus when in recent years it was found that the Israeli surveillance firm NSO’s Pegasus spyware had been used by various governments to spy on journalists, activists and dissidents.
While not as stealthy as Pegasus, the RCS Lab tool can still be used to read messages and view passwords, said Bill Marczak, a security guard at Citizen Lab’s Digital Watchman. “This shows that even though these devices are ubiquitous, there is still a long way to go to protect them from these powerful attacks,” he told Reuters.