Stalkerware apps will threaten your safety and privacy unless you know how to avoid it.
There could be an app on your phone that might allow someone else to spy
and monitor your activities. How will you feel if you find out that someone could view your personal data? Three of the best things Technology has to offer are:
- Social networking
- Video chats
- Other tools
Three of the worst things Technology has to offer are:
- Harassment
- Bully
- Terrorize
The worse of all is an app installed no your phone which allows someone else to eavesdrop on your conversation thereby invading your privacy. Therefore, it is paramount that you educate yourself about how to protect yourself from stalkware via various apps. Avoidance is far better than trying to do damaged control. Victims will tell you that the right solution to this problem is to avoid any mishap.
If you have access to the internet or you’re online stalkerware apps could be installed on your phone without your knowledge or permission. This app operates in stealth mode, therefore you’re unaware of its presence on your device. This app cannot be installed remotely through malware or other means. Physical access is needed for this to be installed on your device. This fraudulent act is mostly carried out by people who are close to you.
Installing the app will be done within a few minutes if the phone is locked or unprotected by a PIN, password, or other forms of security. If you share your security means with someone you thought you could trust such as a spouse, partner, or a friend, they could easily install this app on your device. There are different types of stalkerware apps which allows the intruder to perform some or all of the activities below:
- Read anything you type such as password to bank accounts, online stores, or social media. Each stroke you type reveals sensitive details to the intruder.
- Your movement is easily monitored through GPS location.
- Record phone conversations or just listen to hear vital information
- Access to message even if they are encrypted
- Monitor social network activities
- Look at videos and photos
- Switch camera on
According to a reliable source over 50,000 users of this mobile security app were affected by Stalkware in 2020, this figure is probably higher. A report from the European institute for gender equality claims that using stalkerware apps against women is rampant. According to them seven out of ten women in Europe are most likely a victim of cyber stalking and experienced a form of sexual or physical violence from a partner.
Stalkerware app is normally downloaded from an unofficial source, such as a developer’s webpage and could be used to sell other products. This app was banned from Google’s play store last year, the app did not gain much ground on IOS due to Apple’s ecosystem. The app could still be installed on a jailed break iPhone. A tricky one is to be gifted with an iPhone and not being aware that this app has already been installed on the phone.
Stalkerware could pose as a child or an employee monitoring tool but in reality, activities are being monitored for selfish reasons. The law is gradually catching up in some countries such as France, monitoring someone’s activities without their consent is an offence and punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to 45,000 euro. In the united states, a Developer of a stalking app was fined $500,000. Another narrowly escaped penalty after vowing to change the app’s functionality.
Now that it has been established that stalkerware could be running on your
device without your knowledge. There are signals that will inform you if this app is currently running on your device.
- If your device overheats, the battery drains quicker than normal and mobile date usage is high, these are pointers that you might have a stalkerware on your phone.
- You must carry out a regular antivirus check on your device through scanning. If you detect a stalkerware on your phone through your security means, don’t remove it straight away, it could be a wrong move that might be detected by the intruder. The best thing is to consult a Technician who is trained to handle these issues.
- Regular checks on your browser’s history is important. You don’t want the intruder to visit sites that you don’t normally visit, thereby getting you into trouble.
- Are you aware of the unknown settings? If unknown sources are active on your device, this could be an indication of the installation of unwanted apps from third party sources.
- A lot of people installed apps without much consideration. Stalkerware app could be installed under a wrong name giving you the impression that you are installing the right app. This offers unauthorised access to your messages, call logs and other activities.
Avoidance as stated earlier is the best protection, discover more ways below to avoid any mishap.
1.If you give your device to someone, it’s advisable to carry out some of the checks listed above just to ensure that you’re protected. Don’t ever leave your phone unlock.
2.A Complex screen password is the best and ensure that your password is changed on a regular basis.
- It’s a wise move not to disclose your password to anyone. It’s up to you if you want to disclose your password to your partner, spouse or close friends. Good relationships are built on trust.
- Delete unused apps because they could be vulnerable, read reviews about apps before making a purchase.
- Disabled the third-party option to install the app on your device.
- Ensure you have cybersecurity protection that warns you about a threat before processing to visit a site or download an app.
In Conclusion
Prevention is better than cure is a very popular statement. This statement is more real today in the tech age. You need to consider if learning how to protect your data is better rather than finding the solution about how to do damaged control. Furthermore, your data will definitely be used against you which could lead to a lot of problems and the cure might do less or no damaged control. Be warned!
