In December, hundreds of iPhone and Android users received a threat notification, warning them their device had been targeted by spyware. Days later, Apple and Google patched security holes that experts think were used to plant the stealthy malware on a select group of devices.
Spyware is so dangerous because the adversary is able to see and hear everything you do on your smartphone, including via encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal. But it tends to be extremely targeted against dissidents, journalists, politicians, and business leaders operating in certain sectors.
The malware has hit a number of high-profile people, including former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Hanan Elatr, wife of murdered Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi—who were both compromised by NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.
Today, spyware remains just as prolific in these circles, but experts think its impact could be widening. In early December, as Google issued its threat notification, the tech firm’s researchers detailed how an exploit chain was used to install Predator spyware surreptitiously onto a device.
It came after an alert issued by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), warning users that adversaries are “actively leveraging” commercial spyware to target mobile messaging applications.
As the risk increases, what can you do to protect your Android device or Apple iPhone?
Zero-Click Attacks
Spyware often hits smartphones in so-called zero-click attacks, meaning your phone can become infected without clicking a link, downloading a malicious image, or any other kind of user interaction.
The attack cannot be mitigated via the usual routes. If the malware has infected your smartphone, adversaries can “read messages, observe keystrokes, take screenshots, monitor notifications, and access banking apps,” according to Pieter Arntz, a senior malware researcher at security firm Malwarebytes.
With full system access, spyware can “exfiltrate data such as emails and texts, send messages, steal credentials, and log in to cloud systems,” says Rocky Cole, cofounder of iVerify, an app that helps users to detect spyware.
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