US Spyware Maker Spytech Hacked: Data of Thousands of Victims Leaked Online

• US-based spyware maker Spytech has been hacked, and the data it held from its victims has being leaked online.
• Approximately 10,000 devices have been compromised. Affected device types include Mac, Windows PC, Android, and Chromebook. Most victims are located in Europe and the US.
• Compromised data includes device location and device activity log. However, since no data can be linked back to any victim, affected users cannot be identified.
• Spytech's CEO said he wasn't aware of the leak but has promised to look into the matter and take the necessary steps.

A US-based spyware maker called Spytech has been compromised. As a result of this, all personal information of the thousands of victims it targeted before the breach has been leaked online.

The story was brought to light by TechCrunch. Apparently, an unidentified person familiar with the breach reached out to them with an unencrypted cache of files taken from the company's servers. It contains details of the victims, such as device location and activity logs. Even worse, the activity logs of the users weren't encrypted.

The only silver lining here is that none of the data can be linked back to the victims. However, on the flip side, this also means that the affected users cannot be notified about the leak.

The data has been verified, and it does belong to the victims of Spytech. After analysis, it was found that its products-Realtime-Spy and SpyAgent, as well as a few more-together compromised nearly 10,000 devices since 2013.

Affected devices include Macs, Androids, and Chromebooks, but the most impacted of the lot are Windows PCs. It's also well worth noting that most of the mobile-only victims are located in Europe and the US with some sporadic attacks in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Read more: Google calls for stricter regulations against spyware firms

What Does Spytech Have to Say about This?

Spytech's response was rather amusing. When reached for comment, CEO Nathan Polencheck said this is the first he has heard of the breach.

I have not seen the data you have seen so at this time all I can really say is that I am investigating everything and will take the appropriate actions." - Spytech CEO

Spytech's breach is the fourth in a row this year. Previously, mSpy, LetMeSpy, and pcTattletale were also compromised in similar ways.

mSpy's leak revealed 100 gigabytes of its customer service records from Zendesk-and the impact of the attacks on LetMeSpy and pcTattletale were so severe that they couldn't recover.

Four spyware makers hacked in a row surely seems like a pattern, but the authorities haven't been able to connect the cases yet. As for Spytech, no one has claimed responsibility for the breach at the time of writing.

About Spytech

Founded in 1998, Spytech is a Minnesota-based company that makes remote access apps, or spy apps. These products are sold as surveillance apps" to spouses and parents who want to keep an eye (think browser history, text messages, geolocation) on their partners, children, employees, etc.

Spytech, given its poor cybersecurity history and lackluster feature set, doesn't qualify as a high-quality surveillance software. Check out TechReport's in-depth guide to find the best parental control apps on the market right now.

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