Stalkerware „is a monitoring software or spyware that is used for stalking”.
What does it mean?
That means that everyone can have this kind of app and see what someone else is doing. You can have access to someone’s back and front camera, localization, voice records, and screen.
How does it work?
The only thing you have to do to have access to someone else’s life is to download the special app from a special website on a victim’s phone.
As we can see from the graph, the number of stalkerware apps detected by Kaspersky Security has increased by almost half in 7 months.
The biggest number of users of this application was in Russia. In the second place is India and in the third – Brazil.
According to Kaspersky’s research, the most often detected Stalkerware apps were MobileTool, iSpyoo, and Talklog.
What can show us that we are being spied on?
If you see any unusual activity on your device there might be something going on. Don’t click on any links in order not to be hacked or spied on.
How can we protect ourselves from an unwanted app?
1) Don’t leave your phone without supervision.
In this case, no one could download a spyware app on your device.
2) Don’t use your thumbprints to open your phone or laptop.
The less the technology knows about you, the safer you are.
3) Download security software.
It may help detect unwanted activities and delete it.
References:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-50175538/using-stalkerware-to-spy-on-a-colleague-s-phone?intlink_from_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Ftechnology&link_location=live-reporting-map
- https://securelist.com/the-state-of-stalkerware-in-2019/93634/
- https://securelist.com/beware-of-stalkerware/90264/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalkerware
- https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-finding-and-killing-spyware-and-stalkerware/