Thanks to the leaks of secret documents from different governments, users around the world now know to what extent their privacy is compromised. And it is that many governments use surveillance services (or espionage) in pursuit of security citizen, or so they claim. The reality is that with this activity they are able to capture all kinds of data from users around the world to know their communications or habitual practicesBut how do they do it? How do those tools work? These are questions that a group of researchers wanted to answer.
This group of researchers grouped under the name SecureList has spent a year investigating some of the spy apps and tools from companies that they create them. Companies that, in some cases, have clients as important as governments. One of them is Hacking Team, focused on espionage without users being aware of their presence. Thus, using reverse engineering techniques, the group SecureList has been able to verify what type of information can reach this espionage company.
The results of such research surprise and frighten at the same time. Focusing on platforms Android and iOS, SecureList has discovered that some of the Hacking Team modules and programs are capable of controlling the WiFi connection of the user terminal, access the GPS sensor of location, record voice , capture images with photo camera, capture email, collect information on SMS and MMS text messages, know the history and use of the web browser Internet, access notes and information copied to the clipboard of the terminal, know the events recorded in the calendar , recognize keystrokes and control the microphone for eavesdropping.And yes, they are also capable of spying WhatsApp, Skype, Viber”¦ A list of functions that can make your hair stand on end.
Of course, for the peace of mind of users, it must be said that the installation method of these spy systems is not a simple thing Y it is necessary to have physical access to the terminal. In the case of iPhone, it is also necessary that the terminal has been released with the system jailbreak Similarly, users Android have to connect the unlocked terminal to acomputer where the Hacking Team spyware is ready to enter. Something that significantly reduces the possibilities of expanding and reaching a large number of terminals. Far from being infected by visiting a web page or with an application downloaded from the official application stores.
The funny thing is that the company Hacking Team is far from hiding. They offer their services by announcing them without any qualms through their web page Services distributed through their servers that are spread around the world, being Spain one of the countries in which they are located. Of course, according to the investigation of SecureList, United States would be their main client. Undoubtedly, data that can scare anyone, although it never hurts to know them. And there is an entire industry that works to be able to collect the maximum amount of user data from all over the world, with the end customers deciding what to do with that information.
