FinFisher is the best-recognized brand in the field of "ethical malware," with market leadership established for more than a decade. Originally known as Gamma International, a subsidiary of Gamma Group based in Andover, UK, the company was ostensibly spun off in 2013 as an independent entity based in Munich and renamed FinFisher. The facts of FinFisher's corporate … [Read more...]
Can Wintego CatchApp Really Crack WhatsApp E2E Encryption?
C5IS reviews Wintego CatchApp, a solution that leverages a little-known vulnerability in WhatsApp's Signal protocol implementation. Wintego created an uproar in late 2016 when it was revealed that a product brochure made the claim that Wintego’s CatchApp solution offers the “unprecedented capability” to crack end-to-end encryption (E2EE) used by the popular messaging … [Read more...]
Presidential Cybersecurity Order – Trumped by WannaCrypt Malware
On May 12, 2017, the Administration issued a long-awaited Executive Order on Cybersecurity, outlining the President’s strategy - and mandate - to improve security for federal agencies, critical infrastructure industries and other enterprises. Depending on your interpretation, it was either perfect timing for President Donald Trump, cyber-wise - or else Friday the 13th struck a … [Read more...]
Darktrace – What AI Cyber Defense Portends for Malware’s Future
Inspired by MI5, Darktrace Antigena defensive cyber learns and corrects system weaknesses via AI - also the perfect tool for malware. One of the more alarming outcomes of the black hat arts is the evolution of cyber breaches that use cognitive computing techniques to “learn” about a potential victim’s network or personal interests and to make modifications that will leverage … [Read more...]
FinFisher FinSpy – Malware’s Hardest Working Rootkit Infection
In reviews of how FinFisher FinSpy, The Hacking Teams’s RCS and similar “ethical malware” programs work, the discussion generally begins with the statement, “They plant malware on a device to take control” and ends with a list of all the capabilities that derive therefrom. All fine and well, but what are the steps leading up to the malware plant that make it successful? And how … [Read more...]