Hermit

Plastic waste is at an all-time high, with reports of tiny plastic falling from the sky even being seen as recently as 2020. But as many try to find ways to deal with the growing trash that litter our shorelines, hermit crabs have taken to using the waste as homes, creating plastic shells from the waste we leave behind. It’s a sad twist that should leave most of us feeling disappointed.A new study headed by researchers at the University of Warsaw in Poland looks at close to 29,000 images of hermit crabs that have…

Land hermit crabs have been using bottle tops, parts of old light bulbs and broken glass bottles, instead of shells.New research by Polish researchers studied 386 images of hermit crabs occupying these artificial shells. The photos had been uploaded by users to online platforms, then analyzed by scientists using a research approach known as iEcology.Of the 386 photos, the vast majority, 326 cases, featured hermit crabs using plastic items as shelters.At first glance, this is a striking example of how human activities can…

Having resolved to extricate himself from the chains of civilisation, Nils Leidal has taken solitary refuge among the mountains of Norway. While his basically furnished shed and daily rituals of scavenging and ice baths hark back to a simpler way of life, the sixtysomething is also glued to his internet-connected smartphone. The paradox is beguiling: how does one maintain a philosophy of self-sufficiency while simultaneously broadcasting his existence online?Unfocused in its structure, Joost van der Wiel’s muddled…

In 15th century England, a woman by the name of Lady Isabel German tucked herself away in a room of the All Saints Church near York. For 28 years, she lived in religious solitude as an 'anchoress', praying and contemplating God from the confines of a sealed cell.Five hundred years later, remains thought to belong to the anchoress have been found in the recesses of the dilapidated church, buried in a curious fashion.While experts are not absolutely certain that this body belongs to Lady German, the dating of the remains…

Google is warning of a sophisticated new spyware campaign that has seen malicious actors steal sensitive data from Android and iOS users in Italy and Kazakhstan. On Thursday, the company’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) shared its findings on RCS Labs, a commercial spyware vendor based out of Italy. On June 16th, security researchers at linked the firm to Hermit, a spyware program believed to have been first deployed in 2019 by Italian authorities as part of an anti-corruption operation. Lookout describes RCS Labs as an NSO…

A sophisticated spyware campaign is getting the help of internet service providers (ISPs) to trick users into downloading malicious apps, according to research published by Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) (via TechCrunch). This corroborates earlier findings from security research group Lookout, which has linked the spyware, dubbed Hermit, to Italian spyware vendor RCS Labs. Lookout says RCS Labs is in the same line of work as NSO Group — the infamous surveillance-for-hire company behind the Pegasus spyware — and…

Image Source : FREEPIK Message Google has found strong evidence that enterprise-grade Android spyware called 'Hermit' is being used via SMS messages to target high-profile Android users. The tech giant has warned all Android victims and implemented changes in Google Play Protect. 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.…

New Delhi: Cyber-security researchers have unearthed a new enterprise-grade Android spyware called 'Hermit' that 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.The team at cyber-security company Lookout Threat Lab uncovered the 'surveillanceware' that was used by the government of Kazakhstan in April, four months after nationwide protests against government policies were violently…