Beware of spyware Hermit, says Google to the high-profile Android users

Google has found strong evidence that enterprise-grade Android spyware called 'Hermit' is being used via SMS messages to target high-profile Android users. Cyber-security researchers last week unearthed 'Hermit' which is being used by the governments via SMS messages to target high-profile people like business executives, human rights activists, journalists, academics and government officials. "Based on our analysis, the spyware, which we named 'Hermit' is likely developed by Italian spyware vendor RCS Lab and Tykelab Srl, a telecommunications solutions company we suspect to be operating as a front company," the researchers from cyber-security company Lookout Threat Lab had said in a blog post. Google said late on Thursday that the government-backed bad actors "worked with the target's ISP to disable the target's mobile data connectivity".