The Spy in Your Phone
Everyone has a smartphone these days. This device connects us to each other and to the world. It stores our data, entertains us, and allows us to do more than we would normally do without it. This is a powerful device.
However, allowing such a small device to have such a large impact on our lives also comes with dangers. This means that with the click of a button and the use of the right skills, malicious actors can find a direct and unobtrusive way into our private lives. For the average person, privacy comes with concerns about how social media and messaging sites store our data and who they allow to access it. However, the bigger picture shows a target and a more worrisome possibility – mass government surveillance.
A practical perspective is to consider the cost of spyware in this technical area. How much does it cost to develop, and who can really afford it? If it were created, who might buy it? Finally, what is the cost to the victim if it is used? Even laypeople may have seen news of the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the role his personal belongings played in his death. If this incident is any indication, it doesn’t bode well for anyone who might be targeted.
The question arises, how does an organization or individual monitor a target. Is there a way to tell when you’re under attack? What preventative or retroactive measures can you take to protect your data? Is the government really capable of mass surveillance? Even if capable, would it do so? How likely is the average person to be targeted, and if not the average person, who is the typical target? Why?
Spyware and Hacking Targets talk about their experiences and how they found out who was behind their hacking attempts and why they were targeted. It revealed a complex web of people and institutions, including secretive Middle Eastern technology companies, U.S. spies, government officials and agencies, journalists and human rights activists. The entire documentary shares valuable insights into the likely intentions and methods of those who perpetuate this cybercrime.
