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back to article Dodgy-govt fave FinSpy snoopware is back and badder than ever for Android and iOS kit

A nasty new variant of the FinSpy snoopware tool that infects and slurps data from Android and iOS phones and tablets is being peddled, we're told. Kaspersky said this week the notorious commercial spyware, developed by Gamma Group and sold by its subsidiary Gamma International to allegedly respectable governments, has been …

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  1. Denarius
    Unhappy

    Please dont tell Oz goverment

    probably too late. No its not a back door, just a free front door so thats all right then

    2 0 Reply
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Long a favorite tool of oppressive government regimes

    this would exclude UK agencies, what a relief!

    5 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Long a favorite tool of oppressive government regimes

      So we're safe from the Welsh Ambulance Service, then.

      3 0 Reply
  3. Robert D Bank

    I wish some info was provided on how to detect and kill these infections. Would a factory reset get rid of it for example?

    2 0 Reply
    1. Blockchain commentard
      Reply Icon

      Best option is a 16lb sledgehammer accidentally dropped on the offending phone. Go to your mobile provider and say 'whoops a daisy, can I have a factory fresh new one please'.

      3 0 Reply
      1. Mike 16
        Reply Icon

        Factory Fresh? From a mobile provider?

        The new one will come with the default provider spyware. At least in the U.S. Especially from Verizon (My provider, sadly, until someone else manages to provide a signal near my home)

        0 0 Reply
        1. Robert Helpmann??
          Reply Icon
          Childcatcher

          Re: Factory Fresh? From a mobile provider?

          The new one will come with the default provider spyware. ... from Verizon (My provider...

          Buy your next phone from a source other than Verizon and replace your old with it or have it added to your contract.The convenience of purchasing your phone from your service provider makes it too easy to give in to pre-installed spyware being the norm.

          1 0 Reply
          1. Phil Koenig
            Reply Icon

            Re: Factory Fresh? From a mobile provider?

            Unfortunately Verizon's network, while probably the best run in the US, is rather unique.

            So the majority of phones that work elsewhere won't be fully operable on Verizon's network. (Due to, among other things, its unique LTE spectrum and usage of IS-95/IS-2000 ["CDMA"] technology for fallback voice and SMS)

            0 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      That sounds just like the sort of security research we need. Good question.

      0 0 Reply
    3. anonanonanon
      Reply Icon

      For iOS, they have to jailbreak the phone to install, there's various ways to detect that, but also a restore will remove it too.

      I was reading a bunch of reviews on another spyware app (flexispy I think), my word it was creepy, various people with no concept of boundaries wanting to track every movement and listen on every private conversation of their kids, spouses, employees, ugh. But many we're frustrated it was hard to install on iOS and demanding their money back

      0 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Worth noticing..

    It's again government level spyware, and it's again Kaspersky who discovered it, a company with a long history of refusing to whitelist government spyware.

    No wonder the Americans sought to ban the company.

    17 0 Reply
  5. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Mature Experienced Applications Culpability for Sterling Stirling Capabilities/Sp00Key SkunkWorXSS

    Surely the tale being told there by Kaspersky and Shaun Nichols in San Francisco is that FinSpy remains even more invasive and mega capable than ever it was before?

    The hanging question then that remains to be left unanswered is ...... Is it a Custom Design Feature?

    1 2 Reply
  6. phuzz Silver badge
    Big Brother

    "sold by its subsidiary Gamma International to allegedly respectable governments"

    And how do we know that a government is "respectable?" Why, because their cheques don't bounce, of course!

    5 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      @phuzz - Any government is respectable.

      You'd better agree with this or else...

      2 0 Reply
    2. Mike 16
      Reply Icon

      Cheques don't bounce.

      I'd like to cash this cheque for 10Trillion Zimbabwe dollars, please. Yes, I'd like that in USD. Nickles will do, thanks.

      1 0 Reply

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