xtech
beezer
In that case, you're already transmitting everything so no point to use vpn.
I did see these messaging apps in Lebanese based WhatsApp groups, knew it was malware.
Toufic
Did people think snow0den was joking when he spoke out of government doing similar surveillance years ago ?
This is not breaking news at all... it just came out to the public i guess (shit people are too much unaware of the things happening in their every day life)
rolf
Yeah, I saw this today and re-posted it on Facebook.
The good news is they used a fake app store to install modified apps, so I should be safe, so should anyone who is security-aware and careful. They did do any OS exploits, cracking keys, just some plain old deception and conning.
However this Lebanon, any such effort is worrying because there is no clear framework for safeguarding privacy.
Jerome
If you look at page 7 of the report, you'll see the "amn l aam" building at Mathaf, which we aren't allowed to photograph or use cell phones near to.
Other than phishing, they used files infected with a Bandook variant called "CrossRAT" to extract information from Desktops.
nuclearcat
I didn't read anything new there, honestly even technology very primitive, and guys who they spy on - should be total idiots. Any really clever activist will notice such attempt. Actually any clever activist will use custom os and privacy features as well, that will catch such software.
Also i didn't read any facts how this might be illegal.
Law enforcement agencies doing for years such things, they do even worse, joining criminal groups gaining confidence of their members, recruiting members of that groups, following suspects and tracking their activities, checking their garbage bins for evidence and etc.
Will you consider that publishing all their tactics are helpful for fighting crime?
Or maybe it is right to publish incidents and facts how such software used illegally, without warrants, on innocent citizens?
What if it turns out some agency used it only to prevent terrorists doing nasty things?
In more basic meaning. Shooting from a gun in head of other human totally bad, right?
But you know why going in details important?
Shooting from a gun in head of other human, who is holding large group of people as hostages and want to kill them... right or wrong?
In this incident we see smoking gun, but person who reported it, did not bothered about details.
So, very likely - any future explosion, tears of citizens whom relatives died there - might be on you, "good guys" from EFF. Thank you very much.