Software embedded in apps sends that data automatically to third parties, which send aggregated data back to developers to improve their apps and to advertisers hoping to target the millions of smartphone and tablet users more precisely.

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Smart meters, which come with communication chips, collect and send energy use data back to their utilities throughout the day.

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Once the victim received a text message that included a certain protocol, the malware would send the collected data back to the command-and-control server.

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