Flexispy

FlexiSpy is a mobile and computer monitoring app developed by Vervata, a technology company based in Thailand.[1]

Overview

The app allows users to monitor activity on different devices from a central account. The app allows users to access a phone's GPS location, call logs and messaging, as well as the phone's camera.[2] According to LA Times, the app is used by parents to monitor their children's internet usage.[3] Thomas Brewster of Forbes wrote a report on the app's application for tracking cheating spouses.[4]

History

In 2017, Flexispy, along with stalkerware company Retina-X Studios, were hacked by two activists who released user data and wiped the companys' servers.[5] The hackers claimed that they were motivated by a desire to take down the stalkerware industry, due to its unethical applications. News coverage of the breach brought attention to the use of stalkerware, and its popularity.[6] Flexispy initially denied the data breach.[7]

Internet security activist Claudio Guarnieri released the FlexiKiller program, which detects whether Flexispy has been installed on a device.[8]

References
  1. "Meet FlexiSpy, The Company Getting Rich Selling 'Stalkerware' to Jealous Lovers". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  2. "The Apps That Can Secretly Spy on You Through Your Cellphone". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  3. "FlexiSpy Reviews – Detailed Analysis of the Monitoring & Spying App". LA Weekly. 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  4. Brewster, Thomas. "This Software Company May Be Helping People Illegally Spy On Their Spouses". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  5. Francisco, Iain Thomson in San. "After blitzing FlexiSpy, hackers declare war on all stalkerware makers: 'We're coming for you'". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  6. "Inside the 'Stalkerware' Surveillance Market, Where Ordinary People Tap Each Other's Phones". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  7. "Stalkerware Company FlexiSpy Calls Catastrophic Hack 'Just Some False News'". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  8. "Wanna Know If Someone Planted Spyware on Your Computer?". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.