• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

Coyote malware is first-ever malware abusing Windows UI Automation

 | 

SonicWall fixed critical flaw in SMA 100 devices exploited in Overstep malware attacks

 | 

DSPM & AI Are Booming: $17.87B and $4.8T Markets by 2033

 | 

Stealth backdoor found in WordPress mu-Plugins folder

 | 

U.S. CISA adds CrushFTP, Google Chromium, and SysAid flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

U.S. CISA urges FCEB agencies to fix two Microsoft SharePoint flaws immediately and added them to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Sophos fixed two critical Sophos Firewall vulnerabilities

 | 

French Authorities confirm XSS.is admin arrested in Ukraine

 | 

Microsoft linked attacks on SharePoint flaws to China-nexus actors

 | 

Cisco confirms active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC flaws

 | 

SharePoint under fire: new ToolShell attacks target enterprises

 | 

CrushFTP zero-day actively exploited at least since July 18

 | 

Hardcoded credentials found in HPE Aruba Instant On Wi-Fi devices

 | 

MuddyWater deploys new DCHSpy variants amid Iran-Israel conflict

 | 

U.S. CISA urges to immediately patch Microsoft SharePoint flaw adding it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Microsoft issues emergency patches for SharePoint zero-days exploited in "ToolShell" attacks

 | 

SharePoint zero-day CVE-2025-53770 actively exploited in the wild

 | 

Singapore warns China-linked group UNC3886 targets its critical infrastructure

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Fortinet FortiWeb flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 54

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Hacking
  • Intelligence
  • Malware
  • Trojan & Co, the new frontiers of espionage

Trojan & Co, the new frontiers of espionage

Pierluigi Paganini November 13, 2011
Once upon a time the espionage made by agents who essentially lived in complete anonymity and free of the past were able to recover the greatest amount of information about their objectives by building dangerous relationships with the reality of interest. Over the years, and the overwhelming technological evolution,  scenarios are profoundly changed. Access to information most often passes through the circuits of a mobile device or a personal computer and this led to an increasing focus of many companies and government agencies in the study and implementation of sophisticated software that can monitor every activity of the victim, collecting information useful to the cause.
The history is full of cyber espionage event, for example in 2005 a serious commercial espionage system was discovered in Israel. For years, several large-scale companies enjoyed inside information about their competitors using a Trojan horse application that was planted on victims’ workstations.

In June 2005, the United  Kingdom’s National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC) provided advice and issued a briefing pertaining to targeted Trojan email attacks against the UK Government and companies. The main goal of the attacks is covert gathering and transmitting of sensible information.

During the 2009 According to German Web site Der Spiegel, the German foreign intelligence agency BND has supposedly been spying on computer systems around the world in the past couple of years. BND has installed key loggers in the system.

Last month German Police has admitted using specially designed computer software to spy on citizens, after a hacker group Chaos Computer Club revealed the existence of the software. German authorities regularly employ the so-called ‘Bundestrojaner’ (‘Federal Trojan’) virus in order to spy on the users of targeted computers. The virus, which was revealed to the Club via an anonymous tipster, was developed by German police experts, and is used by government agents it to intercept electronic information during investigations.

All these cases are linked by a common factor, the intent of governments to control and spy on citizens or individuals who may potentially pose a threat to national security. Multiple violations of privacy observed in similar contexts, representing the inoculation of malware, a change in the system to be spying and thus leading to render questionable the evidence collected in this way.

Undoubtedly useful, such techniques lend themselves more to the collection of information that for probative evidence. But if in the public context this is what happened, in the meantime in the private sector we had a similar approach to the technology. Many companies have made ​​use of trojans, keyloggersand other malware to spy employees or trying to snatch secrets to their competior.  Substantial investments have been done by private companies and sometimed we have read sensational news, last one occurred in recent days related the industry giant EDF Energy sentenced for using a Trojan to spy on the operations of Greenpeace activists.

What are the scenarios that can be expected? Certainly a war without borders in cyberspace, a rapid growth in investment for this “weapon” as well as strong spending for defense against them, we will see some good!

(3L3V3N)

http://news.techworld.com/security/3317706/energy-giant-edf-used-trojans-to-spy-on-greenpeace/

http://intelligencenews.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/01-842/

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240074419/Trojan-spyware-suspects-arrested-as-major-industrial-espionage-scandal-emerges

 


facebook linkedin twitter

Cyber Crime Espionage Hackers Hacking Intelligence Investigation Large scale infiltration Sabotage

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 24, 2025
Coyote malware is first-ever malware abusing Windows UI Automation
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 24, 2025
Stealth backdoor found in WordPress mu-Plugins folder
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    Coyote malware is first-ever malware abusing Windows UI Automation

    Malware / July 24, 2025

    SonicWall fixed critical flaw in SMA 100 devices exploited in Overstep malware attacks

    Security / July 24, 2025

    DSPM & AI Are Booming: $17.87B and $4.8T Markets by 2033

    Security / July 24, 2025

    Stealth backdoor found in WordPress mu-Plugins folder

    Malware / July 24, 2025

    U.S. CISA adds CrushFTP, Google Chromium, and SysAid flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

    Hacking / July 24, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT