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Spyware Seller Shuts Down After Hack (vice.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Retina-X, a company that sells spyware or 'stalkerware' for everyday users has ceased operations after yet another hack. Retina-X sells a handful of apps that monitor computers and cellphones. These are marketed to parents and employees but also used by abusive or jealous partners.
think you mean employers
This juicy little tidbit comes from their website: "Retina-X Studios is sharing information about the illegal hackings and cooperating with the appropriate authorities. The perpetrators of these illegal acts have been motivated by their unfounded opposition to the private activities of parents and employers on devices they own and with the consent of users of the devices. The perpetrators, who will likely never be identified or brought to justice, have shared their actions with online publications to gain attention. They are cowards who work in the dark and use the media to promote their agenda. Retina-X apologizes to our customers for any inconvenience this situation has caused, but our first priority is to you. We appreciate the loyalty you have shown our company and these valuable services."
Nope, sorry assholes. Wrong answer! The Retina-X motherfuckers are the ones that are the bad guys here. They openly promote a surveillance society. They call the hackers cowards but people who need to spy on others are cowards. Fuck you, Retina-X!
looks like the karma wheel had an I'beam strapped to it. >whack!
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Normally these hacks tend to be rather broad scope. So while this company may have been the target, it probably shared its network resources with other organizations who were not afflicted with the company, who may have had damaged.
I remember years ago A few hundred doctors Health Record systems were out for a few hours, because hackers were trying to DDOS a bank, Who was sharing the same hosting company, and main internet pipeline.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Shutting this company down will cost jobs and hurt the economy!
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
I have NO sympathy for a spyware company. In fact, I wouldn't be disappointed if all Retina-X's in-the-know personnel, top to bottom, were hanged. Furthermore, everybody who's ever been the target of said spyware should be informed of who used it on them, and for how long.
For better or for worse, participating in certain industries means always being in someone's line of fire.
Providing controversial products or services such as abortion services in a "red state" or military-style guns in a "blue state"? Prepare to cave to political pressure or spend extra on security, public relations, and lawyers.
Selling cutting-edge drugs or medical equipment that has a more-than-zero-percent failure rate? Better have good lawyers or politicians in your pocket from the get-go otherwise that first lawsuit when your product does fail or your drug has a rare bad side effect is going to bankrupt you.
Running an adult-oriented business in a city or country that doesn't like them, or providing online services to such businesses (think BackPage)? Have the lawyers on standby. If you wind up competing with organized crime, you'll also need to hiring reliable, loyal private security or you might wind up doing the modern equivalent of going swimming with "cement boots."
Selling products or services ("stalker-ware") to third parties (governments or private individuals) that can hurt people (those being spied upon) who can hurt you back (some stalk-ees can fight back, you know)? Unless you are so invisible nobody but your customers/prospective customers knows who you are (selling only to or by referral from three-letter-agencies), you'll need good security for your company, its assets, and anyone associated with the company, both virtual and probably physical.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
They might have shut down, but the assholes who bought their software are still assholes buying software.
Employees or employers?
There's a huge market for apps like this and the void left by Retina-X will quickly be filled by someone else - or the same company under a new name and with better security staff (or they'll be attacked again).
I don't like surveillance any more than most, but the need is there when it comes to parents and kids, and probably also between employers and employees.
If you allow your spouse/significant other full access to your smartphone for the 20-30 minutes apps like this takes to install, you're sort of asking for it. Physical access is still king and smartphones are no exception. Trust no one.
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
It's not a hack, or even it's accurate term, a crack: It's intrusive spyware. Enjoy, Retina-X!
The "private activities of parents and employers" don't appear to be private.
Really, their brochure claims [consent] "is at the discretion of the parent". Since the phone truly belongs to the parent/employer, the parent/employer has that power. But it's obvious this stalker-ware doesn't remind a user, s/he needs to behave.
"The perpetrators of these illegal acts have been motivated by their unfounded opposition to the private activities of parents and employers on devices they own and with the consent of users of the devices. The perpetrators, who will likely never be identified or brought to justice, have shared their actions with online publications to gain attention. They are cowards who work in the dark and use the media to promote their agenda.”
You seem upset. Is everything ok?
Here's hoping that this "hacker" got all of their source code and releases it, so that countermeasures can be developed and we can all better protect ourselves from snakelike companies like this.