iWorld
Planet Marathi on boards Arun Tyagi to drive investor relationships
Mumbai: Vistas Media Entertainment powered platform Planet Marathi OTT has brought on board Arun Tyagi to drive its investor relationships. In his new role, Tyagi will be nurturing investor relations and shaping new initiatives.
An entertainment and media professional, Tyagi comes with more than 21 years of experience in media sales, marketing, planning, and buying, advertising, film marketing & distribution, digital & new media, and digital cinema. In the past, he has led the teams at BCCL, Jagran Prakashan Ltd, Amar Ujala, WPP (Group M India Ltd). His last assignment was with Reliance ADA Group as group head – media, while paralley also heading Big Cinemas as business head. Tyagi is also the founder of 361 Degree World and has given a strong lineup of entertaining films as a co-producer.
Welcoming Tyagi on board, Planet Marathi OTT’s CMD, Akshay Bardapurkar said, “With Arun on board and looking at his vast experience across vrious domains will definitely steer Planet Marathi OTT in the right direction. We are looking forward to building a cutting-edge entertainment platform that is at par with the expectations of our global audience.”
Talking about his synergy with Planet Marathi OTT, Tyagi added, “I am really excited to be a part of the platform that is not just a leader in the Marathi entertainment industry but it is also a driver of change that inspires the regional entertainment industry as a whole. My life’s work has been about shaping brands to achieve excellence and contributing to this larger-than-life vision of Planet Marathi OTT team certainly aligns with my personal goals.”
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.
