Page 24 - aruba-today-20190831

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 31 auguSt 2019
Researchers: Websites infected iPhones with spyware

By FRANK BAJAK es on the victim's phone. separate chains of exploits
AP Cybersecurity Writer While the messaging appli- covering Apple's iOS sys-
Suspected nation-state cations may encrypt data tem as far back as version
hackers used malware- in transit, it is readable at 10, released in 2016.
laden websites to infect rest on iPhones. Apple did not immediately
iPhones with spyware in "This is definitely the most respond to a request for
what security researchers serious iPhone hacking in- comment on why it did not
are calling the worst gen- cident that's ever been detect the vulnerabilities on
eral security failure yet af- brought to public attention, its own and if it can assure
fecting the Apple devices. both because of the indis- users that such a general
Announced late Thursday criminate targeting and attack could not happen
by Google researchers, the the amount of data com- again. Privacy assurance is
vulnerabilities were quietly promised by the implant," central to the Apple brand.
fixed by Apple in February said former U.S. govern- This Sept. 12, 2018, file photo shows an Apple iPhone XR on dis- Neither Google nor Beer
but only after thousands of ment hacker Jake Williams, play at the Steve Jobs Theater after an event to announce new responded immediately
iPhone users were believed the president of Rendition products, in Cupertino, Calif. to questions about the
exposed over more than Security. Associated Press attackers or the targets,
two years. Google researcher Ian though Beer provided a
The researchers did not Beer said in a blog posted that such exploits are un- agencies use. "This should hint in his blog post: "To be
say who was behind the late Thursday that the dis- known to the developers of serve as a wake-up call to targeted might mean sim-
cyberespionage or what covery should dispel any the affected software, and folks," said Will Strafach, a ply being born in a certain
population was targeted notion that it costs a million thus they have had no time mobile security expert with geographic region or be-
but experts said the opera- dollars to successfully hack to develop patches to fix it. Sudo Security. "Anyone on ing part of a certain ethnic
tion had the hallmarks of a an iPhone. That's a refer- The discovery was made any platform could poten- group." Williams, of Rendi-
nation-state effort. ence to the case of a Unit- by Google researchers at tially get infected with mal- tion Security, said the spy-
Sensitive data accessed ed Arab Emirates dissident Project Zero, which hunts ware." Beer said his team ware implant wasn't writ-
by the spyware included whose iPhone was infected security vulnerabilities in estimated that the infected ten to transmit stolen data
WhatsApp, iMessage and in 2016 with so-called zero- software and microproces- websites used in the "indis- securely, suggesting an
Telegram text messages, day exploits, which have sor firmware, independent criminate watering hole at- authoritarian state was be-
Gmail, photos, contacts been known to fetch such of their manufacturer, that tacks" receive thousands of hind it. He speculated that
and real-time location — high prices. criminals, state-sponsored visitors per week. He said it was likely used to target
essentially all the databas- "Zero day" refers to the fact hackers and intelligence the team collected five political dissidents.q

Texas teams with Bumble to crack down on 'cyber flashing'

By CLARICE SILBER hopes of enacting it more multiple dating app com-
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As broadly. panies, helped pursue leg-
states push to criminal- The Cyber Civil Rights Initia- islation that was passed in
ize the sharing of intimate tive reports that 46 states California and Vermont,
photos to get revenge on have laws tackling so- according to its website.
former sex partners, Texas called revenge porn, but The California legislation
is teaming with Bumble to almost none combat unso- requires all online dating
crack down on people licited sexually explicit im- platforms to post safety
who send unsolicited nude ages. tips, and Vermont's requires
images on dating apps and A handful of other states the platforms to notify users
elsewhere in cyberspace. have laws criminalizing where they engaged with
The new Texas law ban- the electronic messaging another user who was re-
ning so-called cyber flash- of lewd content, but most moved for fraud.
ing comes after state Rep. of them are linked to the Austin-based attorney J.T.
Morgan Meyer collaborat- A phone with an App Store selection of the dating app Bumble is sender's intentions. Morris, who specializes in
ed with the Austin-based pictured Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Oklahoma City. Washington, Pennsylva- First Amendment cases,
social and dating applica- Associated Press nia and New Jersey have said the Texas law will face
tion company to shepherd laws against cyberstalk- enforcement difficulties as
a bill earlier this year. Saturday forbids what is of- en encounter sexual ha- ing, which is defined by well as legal challenges
"They had a number of ten characterized as tech- rassment online at much intent to harass, said Pam for being overly broad and
people who were using the nology-enabled sexual higher rates than men. The Greenberg, a senior fellow vague.
app complaining about harassment. It makes elec- study found 21% of women for the National Confer- "It reaches things that argu-
the sending of these imag- tronic transmission of sexu- ages 18 to 29 report being ence of State Legislatures. ably could cover images
es and they quickly realized ally explicit material a Class sexually harassed online In South Carolina, it's illegal related to medical advice
there was no recourse," C misdemeanor with a fine compared to 9% of men to anonymously send any or moms sharing informa-
Meyer said, recalling how of up to $500 if the person in the same age group. lewd content without the tion about breastfeed-
Bumble CEO Whitney who received it hasn't giv- Roughly 53% of those wom- consent of the person re- ing or their babies' health
Wolfe Herd approached en consent. en said someone has sent ceiving it. — things like that which
him about crafting a mea- Meyer said the law target- them explicit images they Bumble, which bills itself certainly can't be criminal-
sure. "There was nothing ing unwanted images will didn't ask for. as a feminist dating app ized," Morris said.
that could be done. It apply to text messages, Caroline Ellis Roche, Bum- where women make the Roche said Bumble under-
wasn't a criminal offense email, dating apps and so- ble's chief of staff, said the first move, isn't the first dat- stands enforcing the law
— although it was definitely cial media. company plans to take the ing app company to take will be a challenge, but the
digital sexual harassment." A 2017 survey by Pew Re- legislation to the federal on a legislative effort. Texas legislation is intended
The law set to take effect search Center found wom- level and other states in Match Group, which owns to serve as a deterrent.q