this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
309 points (98.7% liked)

Privacy

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Summary

Israeli software maker Insanet has developed a commercial product called Sherlock that can infect devices via online adverts to snoop on targets and collect data about them for the biz's clients. This is the first time details of Insanet and its surveillanceware have been made public. Sherlock is capable of drilling its way into Microsoft Windows, Google Android, and Apple iOS devices. Insanet received approval from Israel's Defense Ministry to sell Sherlock globally as a military product albeit under various tight restrictions, such as only selling to Western nations.

To market its snoopware, Insanet reportedly teamed up with Candiru, an Israel-based spyware maker that has been sanctioned in the US, to offer Sherlock along with Candiru's spyware.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Director of Activism Jason Kelley said Insanet's use of advertising technology to infect devices and spy on clients' targets makes it especially worrisome.

There are some measures netizens can take to protect themselves from Sherlock and other data-harvesting technologies.

  • not loading JavaScript
  • using ad blockers or privacy-aware browsers
  • not clicking on advertisements
  • pass consumer data privacy laws
top 16 comments
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[–] [email protected] 96 points 1 year ago (2 children)

To the user in this community who argued that adblockers are killing the internet, lol. Lmao, even. Enjoy your attack vector, buddy.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago

I install ublock origin on my parents' device mainly for this reason. It cuts down on a most of the scams and other bullshit that they might encounter.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Someone on here tried to argue IN FAVOR of ads?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Cliffsnotes: adblockers are ruining the internet!

they’re a response to the internet being ruined. Self served ads are the only way forward.

The internet is ruined? See? Adblockers already ruined it.

It was a young person without a grasp on the situation and only a very cursory understanding of what caused adblockers to become popular. They were as much trying to convince themselves as me, and the argument frankly made me nostalgic.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

We need to treat the rightwing Israeli government like the pariah that they are. If North Korea was selling tools like this there would be consequences. Meanwhile Israel repeatedly sells Pegasus and other hack tools and spies on democracy activists.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago

We should but we won't. Same with Qatar, Saudi Arabia etc. Gotta keep a foot in the shitpie we made of the Middle East to make sure the oil flows.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Wow that’s racist.

Joking, of course. It’s an ethnostate with a deeply authoritarian government that is actively commuting human rights atrocities and violating international laws and treaties.

Typing that out I just realized why we support them.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago

So, a normal ad that functions like most ads.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But don’t worry about Google’s web environment integrity….

There should be no reason to block ads

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

SHOULD. If they weren't intrusive over what I'm trying to see, trying to mimic download links, tracking me at best and serving malware at worst.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago

It would be good if Israel faced consequences for the amount of spyware companies they let freely operate and target people from their country.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

So they reinvented Drive-by Malware?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • not clicking on advertisements

Even if someone doesn't use an adblocker for some reason... who the fuck would click on ads?!

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

but it said i had a virus?!?!?! 'click here to remove it'

-- a boomer, probably

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It’s a really strange concept, but there are people who use ads to discover new products that solve specific problems they have. This method is just so flawed in so many ways, that I don’t even know where to begin. Obviously, it’s not the method I would use or recommend, but there really are people who do it this way.

I get the feeling the there’s a lot of overlap between the people who are tech savvy, privacy aware, use Linux and are on Lemmy. Therefore, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s going to be very hard to find ad clicking people in here, but you never know. If any of you are reading this: Hello. Please make an AMA. I have so many questions.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Couldn’t they just make it look like something that isn’t an ad? Such as a fake video or false “download” button?