Prime Day is only a few days away, but some companies just can’t wait to get their deals in. Bose is one of the top audio brands on the market, and it has a pair of TWS earbuds. The Bose QuietComfort II are now over $100 off for Prime Day.
If you’re looking to up your Bluetooth audio game, then you’ll want to look into getting a pair of these earbuds. There’s a ton of competition in the TWS earbud segment, but Bose is a premium audio company, so it brought its expertise over to its second pair of QuietComfort earbuds. So, you know that you’re getting some top-of-the-line audio quality.
These earbuds come with a set of high-quality drivers designed to give you amazingly detailed audio. They’re some of the best on the market. These drivers promise a deep and immersive sound, which is what you should expect from a pair of Bose TWS earbuds.
These aren’t called QuietCOMFORT for nothing. These earbuds are designed to fit comfortably in your ear for long stretches of time. That’s important for any pair of earbuds. Why wear earbuds that you don’t want to wear? They come with a Fit Kit. This kit includes three pairs of ear tips that you can choose from. This will ensure that you find the right size for your ear.
The audio quality and comfort will keep these earbuds in your ears for a while, so they come with great battery life. The buds will give you up to six hours of battery life on a single charge. That’s some good mileage, and the charging case will extend that so that you can expect a full day’s worth of battery. These are some of the best earbuds you can get, and the discount only sweetens the deal.
Samsung has recently announced its new flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, along with a bunch of other devices. That phone is actually quite similar to its predecessor, even though there are differences, of course. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Do note that we have kicked off the Galaxy Z Fold 6 review process, but it will take time. So we are basing this comparison on details provided by the company and our initial impressions. For more information, the review is coming.
With that being said, as per usual, we’ll first list the specifications of these two phones. Following that, we will compare the devices across a number of categories. We’ll be comparing their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 & Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5,, respectively
– Screen size (main): 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits) 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits) – Screen Size (cover): 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (120Hz, 1,600 nits) 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz, 1,750 nits) – Display resolution (main): 1856 x 2160 1812 x 2176 – Display resolution (cover): 2376 x 968 2316 x 904 – SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy – RAM: 12GB (LPDDR5X) 12GB (LPDDR5) – Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) – Rear cameras: 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom) – Front cameras: 4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture) – Battery: 4,400mAh – Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger) – Dimensions (unfolded): 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm – Dimensions (folded): 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm – Weight: 239 grams 253 grams – Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3 – Security: Side-facing fingerprint scanner – OS: Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1 Android 13 with One UI – Price: $1,899+ $1,799+ – Buy: Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Samsung / Best Buy) Galaxy Z Fold 5 (Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Design
When it comes to the design, the two phones are quite similar. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with sharper corners, though the general design language remains the same. They both have a flat frame all around. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is wider, though, while being ever so slightly shorter. It is also thinner and considerably lighter. The phone weighs 239 grams compared to 253 grams of the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Both handsets have an under-display camera on the main panel and a display camera hole on the cover panel. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is finally wider, and that makes typing on the cover display a bit easier. It’s still not as wide as some of its competitors, and it’s narrower than regular handsets when folded. Samsung used (Armor) aluminum for the frames of both devices, while you’ll find glass on their backs.
It is worth noting that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a stiffer hinge than its predecessor. That’s a good thing, as it’s more satisfying to use, and using the phone in a half-folded state (various angles) is easier now. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has IP48 certification for water resistance, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers an IPX8 rating for water resistance. The in-hand feel is slightly different, but not all that much. Both smartphones have three vertically aligned cameras on the back, in the top-left corner. Those cameras are a part of one camera island, and even though the ones on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may seem larger, the same camera hardware is used.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Display
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 includes a 7.6-inch 1856 x 2160 foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. That display offers up to 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ content is supported. The peak brightness here is 2,600 nits. This display has a 91% screen-to-body ratio and a 374 ppi. The cover display, on the other hand, is a 6.3-inch unit with a 2376 x 968 resolution. That is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The peak brightness here is 1,600 nits, while the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the display. This panel offers a 410 ppi.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
The Galaxy Z Fold 5, on the other hand, includes a 7.6-inch display too, but with an 1812 x 2176 resolution. It’s narrower. This is also a foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+ content and offers a 91.1% screen-to-body ratio. The cover display on the phone measures 6.2 inches. It is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects it.
All four of these displays are quite good. In fact, they’re very similar, other than the aspect ratio difference. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 certainly has a more comfortable cover display to use, as it’s wider and closer to displays on regular smartphones. All four displays are quite vivid and have good viewing angles. Those panels also do get bright enough, although they’re not the brightest around. The touch response is good, and they feel good to use. It’s also worth noting that while both foldable panels have quite noticeable creases, that crease is more noticeable on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor. That is an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and the most powerful chip from Qualcomm. The device also comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 5, on the flip side, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip. That is an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and also a 4nm processor. This phone has the same amount of RAM, though it’s LPDDR5 RAM. Both smartphones use UFS 4.0 flash storage.
So, both smartphones are well-equipped in terms of performance-related specs. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is more powerful, technically, but truth be said, from what we’ve seen thus far, you won’t really notice that day-to-day. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was Qualcomm’s flagship chip for last year, and it does a fantastic job still. Both smartphones are very snappy when it comes to general usage (based on our initial impressions with the Galaxy Z Fold 6), regardless if we’re talking about opening apps and multitasking or browsing and image editing. They both get the job done and then some. Plus Samsung’s software is well-adapted for foldables.
We haven’t really tested the gaming aspect of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 just yet, you’ll have to wait for our full review for that. We are, however, expecting similar results to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That device handles games just fine, as it should considering its specifications. That goes for even the most demanding games on the Google Play Store. We’ll see if the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does a similar job, the review is coming.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Battery
Both of these smartphones include a 4,400mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was not particularly impressive in the battery department. Even when we didn’t use the main display most of the time, the phone didn’t make it up to 7 hours of screen-on-time. You can get there, but you’ll have to be very conservative. When we used the main display a bit more, like half the time, it was close to 6 hours of screen-on-time or less.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 could bring some improvements in that regard, so we’ll see, but we didn’t properly test its battery life just yet. In all honesty, we’re expecting a similar performance to its predecessor. There are foldables out there with considerably larger batteries out there, but perhaps Samsung did some of its software magic here. Your experience with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could have been different, of course, there are a lot of variables included here.
When it comes to charging, the two phones are on the same level. They both support 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. What’s also the same is the fact that neither smartphone ships with a charger in the box. It took the Galaxy Z Fold 5 around 80 minutes to fully charge with a compatible 25W charger, and over two hours with wireless charging. The same will be the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, by the way.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Cameras
The camera hardware remains unchanged on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 compared to its predecessor. The phone includes the same cameras on both the front and the back. A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture lens, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) sits on the back as the main camera. A 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (123-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture lens) sits on the back too. The third camera on the back of both phones is a 10-megapixel telephoto shooter (3x optical zoom, OIS, f/2.4 aperture lens).
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Under the main display on both phones sits a 4-megapixel unit (f/1.8 aperture lens, 2.0um pixel size). On the cover displays you’ll find a 10-megapixel selfie camera (f/2.2 aperture lens, 1.22um pixel size). We were hoping to see an improvement on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in terms of cameras, as some of the competition offers considerably better camera hardware. That did not happen, however, Samsung decided to stick with the same setup this time around.
It’s too early to comment on the camera performance of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. While we did take some initial camera samples, we’re still not ready to comment on them. You’ll have to wait for our full review for that. Still, we expect the two phones to perform rather similarly considering the same hardware, though there will be some differences to speak of, of course.
Audio
Both of these phones have stereo speakers. We didn’t really get to test them properly just yet, but the difference doesn’t seem to be big at first. In fact, it’s possible the exact same hardware is used. We’ll know more after we properly test them and will talk more about them in our review. The sound is very good from both phones, though.
There is also no audio jack included here, which means you will need to use their Type-C ports if you’d like to hook up your stereo speakers. If you’d like to go wireless, do note that both smartphones support Bluetooth 5.3.
Recent Galaxy Z Flip models (like the new Galaxy Z Flip 6) have a cover display that prevents you from having to open the phone to use some apps. However, not all apps are compatible, with Google Wallet being one of those affected. Now, that issue has been solved, since users of some Galaxy Z Flip models can now enjoy all the functionality of the Google Wallet app from their secondary screen too. Soon, Galaxy Z Flip 6 users will also receive Gmail app support on the cover display.
Galaxy Z Flip series users could already make payments from their folded phones using Google Wallet. They just have to bring the device close to a contactless terminal to complete the payment. However, they could not access the full app functionality from the cover display. This means they still had to open the phone for anything else except paying. For example, when they wanted to switch between their cards or use loyalty cards.
Galaxy Z Flip 5 and 6 users can now open Google Wallet from their cover displays
Fortunately, it seems that Samsung has already fixed this problem without prior notice. As spotted by Android Police, the Google Wallet app is now fully compatible with the cover display of Galaxy Z Flip devices. Now, users will be able to add Google Wallet to the MultiStar cover display widget. The latter is an app launcher widget that you can set from Good Lock, Samsung’s customization hub. MultiStar is a kind of “folder” where you can include apps to launch from the cover display.
The source confirmed that the Google Wallet app works as intended on the cover displays of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and 6. Apparently, Samsung added compatibility with the One UI 6.1 update. It is also possible that support arrived through a MultiStar or Google Wallet update. Be that as it may, it is good news for users of Z Flip devices.
How to set Google Wallet on your device’s cover display
To set Google Wallet on your Galaxy Z Flip device’s cover display, you just need to find and install Good Lock from the Galaxy Store > find and install the MultiStar module > Open Good Lock, then “MultiStar” > tap on “I ♥ Galaxy Foldable” > tap on “Launcher Widget” > find the Google Wallet icon to add it (you can also add any other app you want) > Add the widget.
Samsung should step up its game on app support for Z Flip devices’ cover displays
Samsung is the pioneer in the foldable smartphone segment. So, it is curious that their devices are lagging behind in terms of some functionalities compared to other brands. Similar products, like the Motorola Razr+, allow you to use virtually any app on the cover screen. The latter also does not require using “workarounds,” like setting an app launcher widget to run apps.
Samsung introduced its latest foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 – just a couple of days ago. Both the new flagship offerings are currently available to pre-order across channels. During the pre-order period, several trade offers from Samsung and major telecom operators are available for the latest Galaxy Z devices.
In addition, Samsung is boosting a trade-in offer on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which gives you $300 back by exchanging almost any smartphone. Notably, the same offer is applicable to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. However, the trade-in credit value on old phones is limited to $200 on the clamshell-style foldable flagship.
The trade-in offer is giving $300 discount towards the Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6 in exchange for any device in working condition
Samsung is providing a discount of up to $300 towards the latest foldables when you exchange your old smartphone. To trade in your old device for a new Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Z Flip 6, visit the pre-order pages. On these pages, try to search for your phone in the provided lists in the box marked “Samsung trade-in.” If you can’t find your phone or tablet there, then select the “Other Android Smartphone” option.
Notably, as long as your phone meets Samsung’s terms, you will get up to $300 off the latest foldables. The age of the phone or tablet you’re exchanging doesn’t matter as long as it’s in good condition. It’s worth mentioning that Samsung may deem your device worth less than $300, as it is just an “estimated” value on the offer. You will get the exact estimate once your device is evaluated.
The old phone exchange offer is only available until July 24
Samsung is running all the promotional offers on the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 during the pre-order period until July 24. Then, the general availability will kick off and the company will start shipping the new flagships.
As for the pricing, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available starting from $1,099 for the 256GB variant. The 512GB storage model will set you back by $1,219. The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s most affordable variant costs $1,899 and offers 256GB storage. The phone’s 512GB and 1TB models are available for $2,019 and $2,259, respectively. Both are being offered in a handful of attractive colorways.
Google is slated to announce the Pixel 9 series next month, which includes the Pixel 9 Pro XL. For the first time, Google is slated to use both the “Pro” and “XL” monikers for this phone. And now we’re seeing a short hands on video of the device from YTechB who has posted a short 29 second video of it. And also comparing it’s size to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
They are also comparing it to the regular Google Pixel 9, which you can tell the difference based on how wide the camera window is on the back. Obviously, the Pixel 9 has a dual-camera setup, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a triple-camera setup. Otherwise, the two are identical aside from the size. Though the Pixel 9 Pro XL does sport a matte finish on the side rails, while the Pixel 9 has a glossy finish. Similar to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro from last year.
Pixel 9 Pro XL is about the same size as the Galaxy S24 Ultra
In this next video, we can see the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL side-by-side with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It looks to be about the same size, though the Galaxy S24 Ultra is more squared off versus the Pixel here. As the Pixel does have much more rounded corners than usual. Those that like large phones are going to love the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL does also include ultra-wideband, something that the base model does not have. Which has been the case over the last few years with Pixel devices, so no real surprises here. Google is likely using ultra-wideband to beef up its Find My Device network, as it is rumored to be included in the Pixel Watch 3. That smartwatch just recently got certified, and it included UWB. This is a feature that Samsung has been adding to its phones and wearables for the past few years – since the Galaxy S20. So good to see it launching on even more devices.
Competition between stealers for macOS is heating up, with a new malvertising campaign luring Mac users via a fraudulent advert for Microsoft Teams. This attack comes on the heels of the new Poseidon (OSX.RodStealer) project, another threat using a similar code base and delivery techniques.
Based on our tracking, Microsoft Teams is once again a popular keyword threat actors are bidding on, and it is the first time we have seen it used by Atomic Stealer. Communication tools like Zoom, Webex or Slack have been historically coveted by criminals who package them as fake installers laced with malware.
This latest malvertising campaign was running for at least a few days and used advanced filtering techniques that made it harder to detect. Once we were able to reproduce a full malware delivery chain, we immediately reported the ad to Google.
Top search result for Microsoft teams
We were able to reliably search for and see the same malicious ad for Microsoft Teams which was likely paid for by a compromised Google ad account. For a couple of days, we could not see any malicious behavior as the ad redirected straight to Microsoft’s website. After numerous attempts and tweaks, we finally saw a full attack chain.
Despite showing the microsoft.com URL in the ad’s display URL, it has nothing to do with Microsoft at all. The advertiser is located in Hong Kong and runs close to a thousand unrelated ads.
Malicious redirect and payload
We confirmed the ad was indeed malicious by recording a network capture (see below). Each click is first profiled (smart[.]link) to ensure only real people (not bots, VPNs) proceed, followed by a cloaking domain (voipfaqs[.]com) separating the initial redirect from the malicious landing (decoy) page (teamsbusiness[.]org).
Victims land on a decoy page showing a button to download Teams. A request is made to a different domain (locallyhyped[.]com) where a unique payload (file name and size) is generated for each visitor.
Once the downloaded file MicrosoftTeams_v.(xx).dmg is mounted, users are instructed to open it via a right click in order to bypass Apple’s built-in protection mechanism for unsigned installers.
In the video below, we show the steps required to install this malicious application, noting that you are instructed to enter your password and grant access to the file system. This may not come as unusual for someone wanting to install a new program, but it is exactly what Atomic Stealer needs to grab keychain passwords and important files.
Following the data theft is the data exfiltration step, only visible via a network packet collection tool. A single POST request is made to a remote web server (147.45.43[.]136) with the data being encoded.
Mitigations
As cyber criminals ramp up their distribution campaigns, it becomes more dangerous to download applications via search engines. Users have to navigate between malvertising (sponsored results) and SEO poisoning (compromised websites).
To mitigate such risks, we recommend using browser protection tools that can block ads and malicious websites. Often times, threat actors will rely on redirects from ads or compromised networks that can be stopped before even downloading a malicious installer.
AT&T confirms a data breach exposing call and text records for “Nearly All” customers from May 2022 to October 2022. Investigations are underway and 1 arrest has already been made.
While users try to make sense of the Ticketmaster data breach, AT&T has revealed a massive breach. The data breach which occurred earlier this year impacted millions of AT&T customers, allowing hackers to access the call and text message information of around 109 million customers.
The breach, detected on April 19, 2024, exposed call and text message information, affecting “Nearly All” cellular, mobile virtual network operators, and landline customers. AT&T has over 109 million customers in the United States.
As per AT&T’s Form 8-k filing, the stolen data included call and text records of all AT&T mobile clients, customers of mobile virtual network operators, and landline customers who interacted with the numbers between May 1 to October 31, 2022, and January 2, 2023. Hackers gained access to telephone numbers, interactions, aggregate call duration, and cell site identification numbers.
Data Breach Linked to Snowflake Flaw
AT&T has confirmed to Hackread.com that data was stolen from its Snowflake account in a wave of data theft attacks between April 14 and April 25, 2024, using compromised credentials.
For your information, Snowflake is a cloud-based database provider that allows customers to perform data warehousing and analytics on large volumes of data. The recent Snowflake vulnerability concerns revolve around a series of identity-based cyberattacks targeting Snowflake’s customer accounts, rather than a direct breach of Snowflake’s systems.
Since April 2024, there has been an increase in unauthorized access attempts using stolen credentials from various unrelated cyber incidents including the following:
and 100s of others…
What information was exposed?
Duration of the calls
Dates of the calls or texts
Phone numbers involved in the calls or texts
What information was not exposed?
Names
Addresses
Call/text timestamps
Content of calls/texts
Social Security numbers
This means while the breach is significant, hackers did not steal any sensitive information but they can correlate metadata to reveal identities.
1 Arrested
AT&T is working with law enforcement to investigate the data breach and apprehend those responsible, while one individual has already been arrested. The company has not yet provided any information on how the breach occurred.
However, it has implemented additional cybersecurity measures to prevent unauthorized access attempts and will notify affected customers soon. There is no evidence of the accessed data being publicly available.
AT&T was granted permission twice by the US Department of Justice to delay public notification of the data breach due to potential national security and public safety risks, which is the first such exception. The FBI and AT&T collaborated during the delay process to boost investigative equities and support AT&T’s incident response work.
“On May 9, 2024, and again on June 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice determined that, under Item 1.05(c) of Form 8-K, a delay in providing public disclosure was warranted. AT&T is now timely filing this report. AT&T is working with law enforcement in its efforts to arrest those involved in the incident. Based on information available to AT&T, it understands that at least one person has been apprehended. As of the date of this filing, AT&T does not believe that the data is publicly available. “
AT&T
Jim Routh, Chief Trust Officer at cybersecurity company Saviynt commented on the AT&T data breach emphasising on overhalling the third-party data storage ecosystem. “Though the data breach did not include customer credential information, it is another example of the need for enterprises to invest in redesigning third-party governance models specific to credential management.“
Jason Soroko, Senior Vice President of Product at Sectigo, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based provider of comprehensive certificate lifecycle management (CLM), also commented urging Snowflake customers to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect their accounts from cyber attacks.
“Companies using Snowflake should immediately implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance security and protect sensitive data as MFA provides an additional layer of defence against unauthorized access, significantly reducing the risk of breaches,“ explained Jason. “This is true, not just for Snowflake, but anyone using a third-party service via an authenticated session, that authentication needs to be using a credential stronger than just username and password,“ he advised.
Nevertheless, this is not the first time that AT&T has been hit by a data breach. In August 2021, hackers sold an AT&T database containing 70 Social Security Numbers (SSNs) on a cybercrime forum. In April 2024, AT&T confirmed a massive data breach impacting a staggering 73 million (73,481,539) current and former customers when hackers leaked the trove of data on Breach Forums.
The company has also been criticized for its billing practices, with some customers accusing it of adding unauthorized charges to their bills. The latest data breach is likely to further erode trust in AT&T.
In a new episode of Spy vs Spy, the mobile monitoring app mSpy has suffered a data breach that exposed information about millions of its customers.
As Malwarebytes Labs has reported before, the types of companies that make mobile applications that enable users to non-consensually spy and monitor on other users are also—unsurprisingly—rather lax when it comes to their own security. This is the third known mSpy data breach since the company began in around 2010.
TechCrunch reports that in May 2024, unknown attackers stole millions of customer support tickets, including personal information, emails to support, and attachments, including personal documents.
The stolen support tickets date back to 2014, so that’s a decade’s worth of support tickets, reportedly millions of individual customer service tickets and their corresponding email addresses, as well as the contents of those emails.
Sold as a parental monitoring tool, mSpy touts itself as:
“a hugely powerful phone monitoring app which can report on almost every area of your kid’s online activities (and one or two of the offline ones, too).”
Parental monitoring apps present their own complications—particularly when they’re used non-consensually against children—as they can give parents a near-omniscient, unfiltered view into their children’s lives, granting them access to text messages, shared photos, web browsing activity, locations visited, and call logs. Without getting consent from a child, these surveillance capabilities represent serious invasions of privacy.
The same is true when these types of apps are used against adults, and while mSpy may advertise itself now as a tool for parental safety, that wasn’t the case when it was founded.
In fact, in the early 2010s, mSpy promoted its monitoring capabilities against adults, including both in an office environment and in romantic relationships. Looking back at a 2014 archive of mSpy’s website, the company claims that, with mSpy, employers can “make sure your employees’ time is not wasted on writing personal emails.” In an earlier archived version of mSpy’s website from 2012, the company touts that its app can help you “discover if your partner is cheating on you.”
At Malwarebytes, we prefer to refer to these types of apps as “stalkerware” and as one of the founding members of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, we advise strongly against using these apps.
The Coalition Against Stalkerware defines stalkerware as tools—software programs, apps and devices—that enable someone to secretly spy on another person’s private life via their mobile device. The abuser can remotely monitor the whole device including web searches, geolocation, text messages, photos, voice calls and much more. Such programs are easy to buy and install. They run hidden in the background, without the affected person knowing or giving their consent. Regardless of stalkerware’s availability, the abuser is accountable for using it as a tool and hence for committing this crime.
TechCrunch analyzed where mSpy’s contacting customers were located by extracting all of the location coordinates from the dataset and plotting the data in an offline mapping tool. The results show that mSpy’s customers are located all over the world, with large clusters across Europe, India, Japan, South America, the United Kingdom, and the US.
If you fear your data may have been exposed in this or any other breaches, Malwarebytes has a free tool for you to check how much of your personal data has been exposed online. Submit your email address (it’s best to give the one you most frequently use) to our free Digital Footprint scan and we’ll give you a report and recommendations.
If you are looking for a way to remove stalkerware from your device, you have come to the right place. You can keep these and other threats off your mobile devices by downloading Malwarebytes for iOS, and Malwarebytes for Android today.
AT&T has suffered a major data breach affecting “nearly all” of its cellular customers. Hackers broke into its system and stole records of calls and texts its mobile users made between May and October 2022. The stolen data also included those records from customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that used AT&T’s network during that period, as well as AT&T landline customers who interacted with the exposed cellular numbers.
AT&T reports a data breach that exposed call and text records of its customers
Earlier this year, AT&T reluctantly admitted a 2021 data breach affecting 73 million customers. The massive breach exposed personal information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email IDs, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth, of its users. The firm admitted the leak after a hacker tried selling the stolen data. If it wasn’t already a blow to its reputation, AT&T has suffered another major breach, putting more question marks on its security measures.
The cellular giant detected the latest data breach in April 2024 and publicly disclosed it in a regulatory filing early Friday. According to AT&T, a hacker gained unauthorized access to a workspace on a third-party cloud platform it uses and illegally downloaded customers’ call and text records. A company spokesperson told Bloomberg that the compromised cloud platform was Snowflake, a Montana-based cloud computing and data cloud provider.
While the stolen data doesn’t include the contents or time of the calls and messages, it is still one of the biggest breaches of private communications. AT&T also confirmed that the hacker didn’t obtain personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, or dates of birth. Unfortunately, many online tools can link a phone number to people’s identities. As such, this is a massive security threat to people who used AT&T’s wireless services during the specified period.
Well, not just AT&T mobile customers, but also those who used wireless services of MVNOs relying on its network. Boost Mobile, Boost Infinite, Cricket Wireless, TracFone, Black Wireless, FreeUp Mobile, H2O Wireless, Good2Go Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Jolt Mobile, Patriot Mobile, PureTalk, Naked Mobile, Allvoi, FreedomPop, Red Pocket, Straight Talk, Unreal Mobile, and Wing are among the MVNOs that have used AT&T wireless networks in recent years.
AT&T Landline users are also affected
While the breach primarily affected mobile users who made a call or sent a text message over AT&T networks between May and October 2022, the firm said the hacker also stole those records from January 2, 2023, for a “very small” number of customers. Additionally, all AT&T landline users who interacted with phone numbers leaked in this breach during the specified period are affected. The firm says the latest leak doesn’t have any connection with the previous leak.
AT&T has already closed off the illegal access point and is working with cybersecurity experts for further steps. The firm is also in contact with law enforcement and believes that the FBI has apprehended at least one person involved in the breach. There is no evidence that the hacker has publicly exposed the stolen information. AT&T didn’t specify if there has been any abuse of the compromised data. If you were an AT&T customer between 2022 and 2023, stay vigilant. You might want to be cautious about calls and messages from unknown numbers.
The EU has been investigating X (formerly Twitter) for some time now to check whether the company complies with its DSA (Digital Services Act). Part of the investigation has concluded with the organization determining that paid blue checkmarks are deceptive to users.
The investigation by an EU commission began on December 18, 2023. The organization was examining issues such as potential deceptive practices, transparency (especially in advertising), and data access for independent researchers. As a result, X is the first company officially accused of violating DSA legislation.
X’s blue checkmarks are deceptive for users, the EU says
The EU Commission found the blue checkmark verification system a deceptive practice, as it makes it difficult for X users to know whether an account is authentic or not. Currently, getting one only requires paying for a supported tier. The platform does not require any additional data. Therefore, the blue checkmark is more of a premium-tier “perk” than a real verification system. However, there are many users who associate it with account authenticity.
The investigation also found cases of profiles using the system to intentionally mislead people on X. So, the EU sees it as a problem that requires a short-term solution. The EU also concluded that X is not complying with its requirements on transparency in advertising and the availability of data to independent researchers either.
Following the conclusions of the investigation, X will have the opportunity to defend itself. However, if nothing changes after the defense, the company will be forced to make notable tweaks to the system. If it continues to violate the legislation, X could receive a fine of up to 6% of its gross revenue. Elon Musk’s company qualifies as a Very Large Online Platform under DSA guidelines. This is because it has more than 45 million monthly active users in EU member countries.
Other matters remain under investigation
The investigation started in 2013 also included other areas. For example, the distribution of illegal content or moderation on posts related to the war between Israel and Hamas. However, the EU confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing for those issues.
Lately, the EU has been actively investigating large companies for compliance with regulations such as the DSA or the DMA. Regarding the latter, Apple was charged for violations related to the App Store, while Google and Microsoft’s moves in the AI segment are under vigilance.
