FinSpy
Posted: March 14, 2013
Threat Metric
The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:
Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.
Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.
Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.
Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.
% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.
| Threat Level: | 8/10 |
|---|---|
| Infected PCs: | 20 |
| First Seen: | August 3, 2012 |
|---|---|
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
FinSpy is the spyware component of FinFisher, a legal spyware application that supposedly only is marketed to law enforcement agencies and used for the purpose of monitoring criminal activities. However, recent analyses have indicated that FinSpy also is used in more questionable circumstances than the above – such as in monitoring the actions of government protest groups in both Vietnam and Ethiopia. Although FinSpy isn't designed for illegal purposes, malware researchers still consider FinSpy to be malware that should be removed from your PC as long as you place any value in protecting any of the information on your computer. Despite its origins, you still can delete FinSpy with the same anti-malware tools that would be able to thwart illegal types of spyware.
FinSpy: A Fisher for All Sorts of Information
FinSpy, as part of the multiple-component FinFisher, has been involved in a wide range of surveillance operations with justifications for such acts ranging from 'unquestionable' to 'shady.' Besides the most recent incidents involving the Ethiopian protest group Ginbot 7, FinSpy also has been connected to government surveillance efforts in such regimes as Hosni Mubarak's and the town of Bahrain of Pakistan.
To date, malware researchers have found that e-mail messages are the most common infection vector for FinSpy (the component of FinFisher that's installed on vulnerable computers). In most cases, such as recent Ethiopian protester-targeted attacks, these e-mails messages are crafted to look like government protest messages that include additional information in an enclosed file. Opening this file usually opens a real document that distracts the victim from FinSpy's hidden installation.
FinSpy includes the same basic spyware functions that illegal spyware programs are fond of abusing, including keylogging, form-grabbing and other attacks that can target personal data for transfer to remote servers. Although most first-world residents (with the notable exception of Canadians) aren't in danger of being targeted by FinSpy's current attacks, SpywareRemove.com malware experts warn that residents of the following countries should take heed:
- Bangladesh
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- India
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Pakistan
- Serbia
- Vietnam
How to Pry a FinSpy from Your Hard Drive
While its origins are different from that of most kinds of spyware, FinSpy still can be deleted by the same basic methods that would detect any other malware on your computer. Anti-malware software of any competency should be able to find and remove FinSpy. As long as you scan your PC as quickly as possible after any potential infection, you shouldn't suffer meaningful data leaks from FinSpy's attacks. FinSpy also has been confirmed to have a mobile phone variant. However, removal methods remain the same as always.
However, in the case of FinSpy, in particular, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers emphasize that you should use anti-malware programs with updated databases. FinSpy is an ongoing development project that receives regular updates, and outdated software may be unable to find or remove FinSpy.
Use SpyHunter to Detect and Remove PC Threats
If you are concerned that malware or PC threats similar to FinSpy may have infected your computer, we recommend you start an in-depth system scan with SpyHunter. SpyHunter is an advanced malware protection and remediation application that offers subscribers a comprehensive method for protecting PCs from malware, in addition to providing one-on-one technical support service.
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