Online Spying In Singapore

By Kirsten Han

It was an alarming headline taken froman article by Yahoo!SG: “S’pore among 25 govts using spy software: researchers.” The article, revolving around a report published by Citizen Lab, a think-tank at the University of Toronto, about a form of intrusion and surveillance software called FinSpy, made by UK-based Gamma Group International, suggested that the Singaporean government has been using software that allows them to “grab images off computer screens, record Skype chats, turn on cameras and microphones and log keystrokes.” A frightening thought…if it were true.

A closer look at the original Citizen Lab report reveals that the researchers merely found a “command and control” server for FinSpy in Singapore, operated by the company GPLHost. That company provides multi-domain hosting and has a presence in cities like Seattle, Paris, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, with most of their servers managed remotely.Read more.