"Apple, Android Phones Targeted By Italian Spyware: Google"

According to Google's threat analysis team, hacking tools developed in Italy were used to spy on Apple and Android smartphones in Italy and Kazakhstan, shedding light on a thriving spyware industry. Spyware developed by RCS Lab targeted the phones using a combination of tactics, including "drive-by downloads" that occur without the victims' knowledge. Concerns about spyware were heightened last year when media outlets reported that Israeli firm NSO's Pegasus tools were used by governments to spy on opponents, activists, and journalists. Companies like NSO and RCS claim to only sell to customers with legitimate uses for surveillanceware, such as intelligence and law enforcement agencies, according to mobile cybersecurity specialist Lookout. In reality, such tools have frequently been used to spy on business executives, human rights activists, journalists, academics, and government officials under the guise of national security. According to Google's report, the RCS spyware it discovered, dubbed "Hermit," is the same one that Lookout previously reported on. An analysis of Hermit showed it can allow threat actors to gain control of smartphones, record audio, redirect calls, and collect data such as contacts, messages, photos, and location. Google and Lookout say the spyware spreads by getting people to click on links in messages sent to targets. This article continues to discuss the spyware being used to target Apple and Android phones. 

IBT reports "Apple, Android Phones Targeted By Italian Spyware: Google"