Security Magazine: The Group Dynamics of Smartphone Eavesdropping

Published by Mike Fong on July 23, 2019

Now that the list of victims of mobile spyware includes household names like Jeff Bezos, many security professionals are well aware that any commercial smartphone can be remotely compromised and essentially turned into a live bug that hears everything the user says and hears. But while the threat of smartphone-based eavesdropping is often viewed solely in terms of the target, in reality, threat actors frequently place their sights on members of the target’s inner circle in the hopes of capturing conversations with the target or bits of valuable information reshared after the fact. It’s important to understand the group dynamics at play in order to better protect against the risks to the target and the organization.