Spyware startup Variston is losing staff — some say it’s closing

TechCrunch reports that Variston, a secretive Barcelona spyware and exploit firm, developed the Heliconia exploitation framework and mobile spyware; leaked zero-day exploits were sent to Google in July 2022, Google found the tools used in operations in the UAE and Indonesia, and the exposure, loss of funding from a UAE partner (Protect), and employee departures have led to Variston’s apparent shutdown.