Cy4Gate in an italian conglomerate of multiple spyware and surveillance companies (RCS, Tykelab).
Founded in 2014, Cy4Gate flagship products are Epeius, Hydra and Gens.AI.[1]
Epeius is a spyware that can be installed on mobile devices to monitor a victim’s activity, to extract their data, chats, photos, locations, email, etc.
Hydra allow to monitor a victim’s network activity, detect which application are used, which website are visited, if VPNs or Tor are in use, etc.
Gen.AI is a tool that allow to create fake social personas for law enforcement agents to use on social networks to interact with victims to deploy the Epeius spyware or conduct disinformation campaign.
In 2021, Citizen Lab and Vice’s Motherboard found links between a fake version of WhatsApp and Cy4Gate, specifically its Epeius tool.[2]
The spyware was made of multiple stages. The first stage collected basic identifying information about the device (namely the IMEI code and the phone number).
This instance of Epeius was rented by Cy4Gate to SIO. The Italian’s prosecutor office of Naples later suspended the wiretapping authorization given to SIO.
This company is also listed on Surveillance Watch.
