Doctor Web has detected a malicious software module for the Android OS that has spying functions – it can collect information about files stored on devices, transfer them to attackers, as well as replace and upload the contents of the clipboard to a remote server.

According to Dr.Web classification, it was named Android.Spy.SpinOk. The module is distributed under the guise of a marketing SDK, it is built into various Android games and applications, including those available in the official Google Play store.

The SpinOk module is designed to keep users in applications with the help of mini-games, a system of tasks, as well as alleged prize draws. The company said:

During initialization, this Trojan SDK connects to the C&C server, sending a request to it with a lot of technical data about the infected device. Among them is data from sensors such as a gyroscope, magnetometer, etc., which can be used to recognize work in an emulator environment and correct the operation of a malicious application in order to avoid detection of its activity by researchers. For the same purpose, device proxy settings are also ignored, which makes it possible to hide network connections during analysis. In response, the module receives a list of links from the control server, which it loads into the WebView to display advertising banners.

Experts found this Trojan module and several of its modifications in a number of applications distributed through the Google Play catalog. Some of them still contain the malicious SDK, others had it only in certain versions, and others have already been removed.

In total, SpinOk was found in 101 programs that were downloaded at least 421,290,300 times in total. The company notes that “hundreds of millions of Android device owners are at risk of becoming victims of cyber espionage.” Doctor Web has notified Google of the identified threat.

The WhatsApp messenger development team has released update 2.23.11.19 for the Android operating system. It is already available to some beta testers through the Google Play Beta Program. The new version has the ability to share your screen with the interlocutor during a video call. To do this, you need to click on the new icon located in the call control window. In this case, everything that is displayed on the screen will be recorded and transferred to another user.

The transfer of screen contents during a video call will be continuous, but it can be interrupted at any time: the user retains full control, experts at the WABetaInfo resource say. And, of course, the broadcast will only start after the user agrees to share the screen.

Please note that the new feature may not be available on smartphones running older versions of the Android OS, or it may not work when calling in large groups. Also, the interlocutor may not accept the screen picture if he uses an outdated version of WhatsApp. While the ability to share the contents of your screen has become available only to some beta testers, it is expected that more users of the messenger will be able to evaluate it in the near future.

Artificial intelligence will create new business opportunities and lead to economic growth that will create new jobs, according to IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna.

Krishna said he believes the net effect of AI on employment will be “job creation” rather than job destruction, although it will replace humans in certain jobs.

On Sunday, IBM announced plans to invest $100 million in a joint research project with the University of Tokyo and the University of Chicago in an attempt to build a 100,000-qubit quantum supercomputer in 10 years.

“Japan has accumulated a lot of experience in the field of quantum computing, accumulated over decades,” said Krishna. — Physicists, engineers and materials scientists are working on different aspects. Many people may not realize how deep Japan is in these areas.”

He predicted that quantum computing technology would advance step by step as part of a collaborative project in the next decade, with commercial applications starting in three to five years: “This is the time when people will be solving some problems that are probably too expensive or impossible for conventional computers. To do this, we need between 4,000 and 10,000 qubits.”

In quantum computing, a qubit, or quantum bit, is the basic unit of information, just like a binary bit is in conventional computers.