Amid news of the perpetrator coming forward and leaks making its rounds on the internet, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been confirmed to be buying software from Hacking Team. Rumors of the FBI being the organization's client have been circulating for a while now.
And yet another discovery has been made following the massive hacking incident. The government can spy on jailbroken phones. While jailbroken devices can make an iPhone virtually useless if something goes wrong with it, there's not that much use for it since there is a program that spies even jailbroken phones.
The 400 GB data breach that caused the hack has files that reveal it has developed malware that automatically jailbreaks and infects a phone. Moreover, a $55,000 program, reports say, can spy Skype conversations and access private messages in other messaging apps.
On Monday, July 6, a hacker who calls himself Phineas Fisher, has claimed responsibility for the hacking incident, via Twitter.
Fisher has also claimed to hack tracking service provider Gamma. In 2014, data from the organization's confidential files, specifically on the group's FinFisher software, has also made its way to public domains.
Data weighing 40 GB in total has been stolen from the Gamma Group. Transactions and sales of the group have been made public because of the hack, which happened September this year.
Similarly, Hacking Team's transactions have been made available in sites such as Pastebin, and are downloadable using torrent softwares and mirrors. The screencaps of such documents have also made their way to social media.
Hacking Team has been met by negative feedback because the leaked documents may prove allegations the organization has previously denied. Leaked information has included extensive client lists, which Hacking Team has claimed to be falsified by the perpetrator.
The Milan-based organization has been coordinating with police, and is on emergency mode. It has advised users to stop using its softwares to avoid risks of further information exposure.
The safety features of its softwares also guide its clients on how to kill the software to rid potential data breaches. The organization sells tracking and hacking devices to governments in many countries. Also among its main clients are security and intelligence groups.
Phineas Fisher came out as the hacking culprit on July 6. His moniker is believed to be a mockery directed to FinFisher, the Gamma technology it hacked last year.
As of this writing, Hacking Team has not given a statement regarding the developments brought by the hack. It has not confirmed the authenticity of the leaked documents.
