News

SpyBuster Helps Identify iOS Apps With Servers In Russia And Belarus

When you launch SpyBuster, it automatically begins examining installed apps, looking for connections with Russia or Belarus.

Published

4 years ago

August 2, 2022

David Morelo

spybuster helps identify ios apps with servers in russia and belarus

Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the number of cyber attacks launched against both countries surged. Because targeted attacks against specific government entities are what usually makes the headlines, it’s easy to overlook the role we all play in today’s cyber warfare.

As we use our beloved iPhones to help us navigate our daily lives, we rely on a large number of apps, many of which send potentially sensitive information to remote servers. That’s usually not a problem except when the servers that the app is communicating with are located in Russia or Belarus, and the iOS version of SpyBuster by MacPaw is here to help you discover all apps on your device that do just that.

“In 2016, Russia adopted legislation that requires telecom providers to store private user data, including the content of voice calls, images, and text messages, for 6 months. It also orders them to retain metadata like sender and recipient information, sending time, and location, for 3 years,” explains Eugene Kalnyk, PR Specialist at MacPaw. “The so-called Yarovaya Law allows FSB and other Russian law enforcement agencies nearly unlimited access to any user data on Russian servers without a court order.”

SpyBuster debuted in March 2022 as a macOS privacy tool. It took MacPaw only three months to release it as a Chrome extension. With the recent release of the iOS version, users can finally protect their privacy everywhere — from desktop computers and laptops to the web to mobile devices.

Just like CleanMyMac X and other software applications developed by MacPaw, SpyBuster is designed to be user-friendly, and it shows through and through.

Also Read: DDoS Attacks Are A Growing Threat In Gaming

When you launch SpyBuster, it automatically begins examining installed apps, looking for connections with Russia or Belarus. It then presents a list of suspicious apps, allowing you to see at a glance why the apps should be avoided. Less experienced users may also appreciate the inclusion of detailed uninstall instructions.

spybuster by macpaw screenshots

The settings section of the SpyBuster app lets you adjust your detection accuracy setting, which influences how many privacy offenses an app has to commit before being flagged as suspicious.

To learn more about SpyBuster, visit its official website, where you can find download links for iOS, macOS, and Chrome.

News

NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.