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Detekt, the free tool that scans your computer for government spyware, is close, but still needs some work

Program developed by a coalition of human rights organizations

Detekt is a free, ready-to-download program developed by a coalition of human rights organizations for the purpose of scanning a user’s computer for traces of surveillance software.

Detekt

The group, which includes Amnesty International and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, designed the program in hopes of equipping activists and journalists with a tool intelligent enough to tell them they’ve been hacked.

“Our ultimate aim is for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society groups to be able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of surveillance, harassment, intimidation, arrest or torture,” Amnesty wrote in a statement.

Claudio Guarnieri, a security researcher, was the lead developer of the program. He’s been investigating government abuse of spyware for a number of years now with other researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. Among some of the more noteworthy discoveries: the Bahraini government used FinFisher-sourced software to spy on human rights activists, and evidence proving Ethiopian government spied on journalists in the U.S. and Europe using programs developed by Hacking Team.

Surveillance software

Information recorded vis-à-vis spyware includes personal emails, private audio calls, keystrokes, and passwords; some programs even allow the user to remotely activate the target computer’s camera or microphone for the purpose of recording activity in and around the desk area.

Angered by such blatant abuse of privacy rights, Guarnieri developed Detekt from software he and the other researchers used during those investigations. 

They’ve since released the program for download, but before you head to the site, it should be noted that Detekt still has some things to work on before it can be fully trusted.

For one, Detekt only works with Windows computers right now. A bit limiting, but since it’s just out of the gate, the developers figured to make the program available to the largest possible audience at once.

Second, while Detekt has proven capable of discovering malware developed by commercial firms and popular spyware used by cybercriminals, it can’t do anything in terms of disposing of the infection. Instead, the Detekt website warns users that if there’s any trace of malware on one’s computer, to stop using it immediately and look for help: 

“Firstly, stop using the infected computer immediately and disconnect it from the Internet, other network and removable devices, unless strictly necessary,” the site reads. “Secondly, decide whether to dispose of the computer or keep it and seek further assistance to investigate the attack and help you to safely recover your computer. We suggest that you speak with an expert to help you make this decision.”

Additionally, Detekt has proven in tests to have difficulty tracking down updated versions of spyware.

To cover themselves, in the software’s “readme” section, the developers advise: 

“Beware that it is possible that Detekt may not successfully detect the most recent versions of those malware families,” they write. “Indeed, some of them will likely be updated in response to this release in order to remove or change the patterns that we identified. In addition, there may be existing versions of malware, from these families or from other providers, which are not detected by this tool. If Detekt does not find anything, this unfortunately cannot be considered a clean bill of health.”

Those are some of the more basic issues with the program. True, it’s better than spending money on an antivirus license, or downloading a new, un-proven third-party app, but the program’s true audience right now are the activists and journalists who don’t typically have access to effective — and expensive — spyware detection tools. 

Still, Detekt should be considered for future download, especially when one considers its roster of backers, and the fact that it’s open source, meaning it’s constantly being improved. In fact, Guarnieri is actively working with developers to get Detekt to a level of efficiency where it can be used — and trusted — by a larger audience.

Download Detekt

Learn more about Detekt

Story via Mashable

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