The federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security, Matt Edmondson, built his own anti-tracking tool to help a friend who was tailed in 2021. 

Edmondson, a hacker and digital forensics expert, built the Raspberry Pi-powered system that can help scan for nearby devices and alert you if the same phone is detected several times in 20 minutes. The said device can be carried around or placed in a car. 

Anti-Tracking Tool Created by Digital Forensics Expert

According to Wired, Edmondson created the Raspberry Pi-powered using parts that cost around $200 and will present the research project at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. He has also open-sourced the system's underlying code. 

In the past few years, there has been an explosion in the number of ways that people can be tracked by stalkers, abusers, or those involved in government-backed espionage. 

Also Read: Apple Updates AirTags Firmware and Increases the Volume of the Tracking Sound for Easier Detection 

Most stalkers use hardware devices to track their victims, but some use software they installed directly on their victims' phones, like spyware and stalkerware. 

These types of software can give the stalker access to their victim's location data, photos, messages, and videos. 

Meanwhile, physical trackers, like Apple's AirTags, have been used to track where people are in real-time, according to The Washington Post. 

A quick search online reveals plenty of tracking tools that are easy to purchase. Edmonson pointed out that many devices can be used to spy on people, but there are almost no devices that can help those being spied on. 

How the Anti-Tracking System Works

The homemade system works by scanning for any wireless device around it and then checking the logs to see whether they also were present within the past 20 minutes. 

Edmonson said that the system is meant for people who are always on the move. It can't be used while sitting because it could pick up too many false readings. 

According to Newstral. the anti-tracking tool, which is as big as a shoebox, is made up of a couple of components, 

A Raspberry Pi 3 runs its software, an installed Wi-Fi card scans for nearby devices, a small waterproof case protects it, and it has a portable charger that powers the entire system. 

A touchscreen on the system alerts the device, and each alert may be a sign that you are being followed. 

The system runs Kismet, a wireless network detector that can detect smartphones and tablets around it that are looking for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. 

Edmondson said that Kismet records the first time it detects a device and the most recent time it was detected. 

But to make the anti-tracking system work, he had to write code in Python to create lists of what the system detects over time.

There are lists for devices detected in the past five to 10 minutes, devices detected 10 to 15 minutes, and devices detected 15 to 20 minutes. 

If the devices appear twice on the list, an alert will immediately flash on the screen.  

Related Article: Apple AirTag: How to Use Anti-Stalking Feature on iPhone's iOS 15

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Written by Sophie Webster