Unmask a spy and save your data
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kosovan

SpyBuster - Unmask a spy and save your data

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MacPaw
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SpyBuster is a free anti-spyware tool for macOS that helps to secure user data by detecting apps and websites that originate from or connect to servers in russia and belarus. You can block unwanted connections and make sure your data is safe.

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kosovan
Hunter
Hey Product Hunters! I could’ve never imagined that the MacPaw team would release a new app on Product Hunt in the war times. Yet, this is the reality all Ukrainians are living in today. MacPaw’s Technological R&D team created SpyBuster app as a volunteer project to help Ukrainians protect their personal data from Russian security services. SpyBuster is now available for all macOS users, ready to scan your Mac and identify apps and websites that have ties to Russia and Belarus or connect to servers in those countries. Let this app lead your way to a more secure online experience. I hope you’ll like the app and join the ranks of SpyBusters! Let us know what you think, and stay safe!
smallder
This app IS itself a spy tool, and one that tries to put innocent businesses & people out of business//work. As someone who has paid for CleanMyMac, how do you think it feels to have the same company you’re paying make active efforts to harm the people of your home country, people that already live in extreme poverty. As someone with Belarusian background, why this is allowed on PH and seen as a good cause, I have no idea.
Julia Petryk
Maker
@smallder Hi there! Thank you for your comment! SpyBuster’s mission isn’t to say that all apps/sites made in Russia and Belarus are evil, or that all the data stored on servers in these countries will be inadvertently compromised. SpyBuster’s mission is to warn users about the risks related to using internet services and software that send data to servers located in these countries because of the legislation allowing local security services nearly unlimited access without a court order (Yarovaya law). It’s absolutely up to users to decide if they are willing to take these risks. Also, as it turned out, lots of webmasters might not know that their sites may communicate with servers in russia and belarus (often through built-in analytics systems that came with their website templates), and can use SpyBuster to make sure they have a more complete picture of how their websites behave. SpyBuster calls for a more conscious tech usage that allows for better data safety practices online.
smallder
I find it odd you felt the need to target these people. Are you aware of the Asian governments that have access to data without a court order? I don't see you labeling Asians creating software as "spies". This law has also been in place for years, did this law not matter a few years ago? I find your "mission" hypothetical and extremely damaging to my people (home or abroad), those trying to make a living and support their family back home. You're in favor of "conscious tech" but are you conscious of the consequences of putting this label on a certain group of people? This is not a tool to help, this is a tool to hunt. I understand you're a PR manager and you're simply trying to gain free PR for your business, but maybe think a little more about the connotation of your "mission" if it targets people from a certain ethnic group.
Julia Petryk
Maker
@smallder …and the whole country underwent military aggression from Russia and Belarus for the sake of publicity? Please, before labelling people for their profession, try to see other reasons rather than those on the surface. Sorry, but there’s no right to accuse the app to be damaging for people while their homes and lives are literally damaged. I find it odd to accuse app makers instead of the government and its laws. It’s not us who are to blame for hypocrisy.
Lisa Dziuba
@kosovan Thank you so much for everything you are doing!
Serg Krivoblotsky
Maker
Hi Product Hunters, I’m glad to introduce SpyBuster to macOS users around the world! This anti-spyware tool grew out of an idea to help Ukrainians secure their personal data amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As MacPaw’s Technological R&D team, we have been doing a lot of research before Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. One of these researches explored the technical implementation of network filtering on macOS and turned out to be well-applied to protecting computers from potentially dangerous apps. SpyBuster helps identify apps and websites with ties to Russian Federation and Belarus and highlights potentially unsafe connections of apps and websites to servers in those countries. Yet, it’s up to users to decide whether to take any actions. SpyBuster is a volunteer project by the MacPaw Technological R&D team aimed to contribute to Ukraine's informational security and protect users' data from any cybersecurity threats from Russia and Belarus. Also, we decided to scale the project and make SpyBuster available worldwide. Please feel free to use it, take care of your data, and let us know what you think!
Mykola
Hey Product hunters! As Information Security Specialist and Head of Information Security Service at MacPaw, I am glad we can introduce SpyBuster to Mac users. Our team is witnessing the rising need to protect users' data more carefully as threats have multiplied exponentially over the last years. We decided: from now on, Security and privacy should be a new key direction for MacPaw. With the russian war against Ukraine, cyber security has become even more of a discriminator. Ukraine is not the only target for russia – 58% of all cyberattacks observed by Microsoft from nation-states have come from russia. The top three countries targeted by russian nation-state actors are the United States, Ukraine, and the UK. And as you may be aware, the FSB, a russian security service, and other security services can access any users' data stored on servers without even a court order. Clearly, it is necessary to re-evaluate the risk. We at MacPaw, believe SpyBuster will help users globally to prevent data leaks and keep their digital lives secure.
Aleksandr Volodarsky
Good job. Using it now
Julia Petryk
Maker
@volodarik kudos to @krivoblotsky and the team 🙌
Vital Rozhevski
💛💙 love it
Pavlo Haidamak
Maker
@rozhevski Me too! Thank you so much. How do you like the app?
Julia Petryk
Maker
Russia is not only a threat for the civilised world by the unprecedented military agression in Ukraine and committing war crimes countrywide. In terms of cyber attacks, the country is a big threat as well! In the latest statement, Biden warns that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks. SpyBuster is a product you can start with at least to detect potentially harmful connections and unsafe apps.
Vol Goloshuk
Well done guys! Keep up a good work! Do you have a timeline for the Android version launch?
Pavlo Haidamak
Maker
@vlad_goloshuk protecting data from increasing numbers of cyberattacks from Russia is crucial today soo we’ll definitely think about Android version and discuss. iOS version is under development now.
Alyona Gorbatko
Russia has a history of employing cyberwarfare tactics. While they haven't launched a full-scale cyberwar against Ukraine and its allies yet, everyone should be ready.
Pavlo Haidamak
Maker
@agorbatko Indeed! Considering the fact that the number of russian cyberattacks increases every day, I believe that the cyberwar has already started, but I also believe that it will scale up. Thank you for using the app!
Brittany Joiner {Britt the Builder}
This is awesome! Love it and downloading right now. Thanks for building! Will it send alerts when it detects something or do I need to reload the page?
Eugene Kalnyk
hi @britt_joiner! Thank you for your support! When detecting a potentially unwanted connection, SpyBuster will alert you inside the app, and then you can decide whether to act on the alert. Here's a quick screencast of how this works. Happy SpyBusting!
Brittany Joiner {Britt the Builder}
@yevheshko thanks!
Kateryna Achkasova
Great! Will try it now.
Pavlo Haidamak
Maker
@kateryna_achkasova Thank you so much! Our team will appreciate your feedback. Please let us know what you think.
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