iWorld
Games24x7 onboards Rajat Bansal as chief technology officer
Mumbai: Amazon Lockers’ former head of engineering Rajat Bansal has joined online gaming company Games24x7 as chief technology officer (CTO).
A key addition to the company’s leadership team, Bansal will be responsible for outlining and implementing the company’s technological vision and ensuring that the technological resources are aligned with the business needs, said the company in a statement.
He will be spearheading technology and will be responsible for delivering creative strategies to maximise tech innovation and provide an intuitive gaming experience to players, it added.
“Rajat will bolster our already market-leading technology infrastructure to accelerate growth and innovation at Games24x7. We are delighted to welcome such a remarkable leader amongst us,” said Games24x7 co-founders and CEOs Trivikraman Thampy and Bhavin Pandya in a joint statement.
With an enriching experience of over two decades, Bansal has an illustrious track record in the technology industry. In his tenure at Amazon, he served in the Amazon Prime Video team before joining the leadership team for Amazon Lockers. Prior to Amazon, he served at Naukri.com as EVP and Hike messenger as CTO.
“Games24x7 has had an outstanding journey so far, disrupting the sector with constant tech innovations,” said Rajat Bansal on his new aasignment. “I am excited to join Games24x7 at this pivotal phase, as it plans on deploying newer technologies and developing robust services across its products.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
