Stalkerware apps could lead to serious issues once they are unexpectedly installed on your device. These malicious applications can record all your conversations, locations, and everything you type on your smartphone, thus giving them the name "Stalkerware."
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These spy applications are usually installed in Google Play Store, as well as Apple App Store. One of these apps is the free Flash Keylogger, which Android users use.
Victims complained that its icon could be changed to a calendar app or calculator after installing the app. In short, it is used by Android smartphone owners who are hiding something from their loved ones.
However, security experts confirmed that it actually documents all your web searchers, text messages, as well as emails. The Flash Keylogger is just one of the stalkerware apps you need to look out for.
How To Prevent Stalkware Apps?
A man wearing a face mask uses a smartphone as he walks on a bridge at night on February 13, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. At least 219 passengers and crew onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19 making it the biggest centre of the virus outside China. Japan has also so far diagnosed 28 other people with the illness.
According to PC Mag's latest report, smartphone users can look for various signs, which could indicate that their device is installed with a stalkerware app. These include the following:
- Always check if the app permissions are changed.
- Observe your smartphone's battery life. If it is draining faster than usual, there's a high chance that it is infected with a spyware application.
- Regularly check your mobile data reports. If there is very high traffic, then it might have been caused by stalkerware.
- If your device is unusually overheating, a spyware application might be causing it, especially if that malicious app is active 24/7.
On the other hand, here are some defense tips you might find useful:
- Scan your smartphone
- Always update your software
- Activate two-factor authentication
- Look for unusual behavior on your device
- Change your passwords and passcode
- Audit your online accounts
In other news, new Android malware is also targeting the U.S. and Canada through COVID-19-related SMS. On the other hand, the new GriftHorse Android malware suddenly appears.
Different Types of Stalkerware Apps
The New York Times reported that stalkerware apps vary according to how they function. As of the moment, security experts haven't provided the exact names for different spyware applications.
Although this is the case, you can still identify their severity depending on how they work. Different stalkerware apps collect different information, such as the following:
- Stalkerware collecting phone calls
- Stalkerware collecting log keystrokes
- Stalkerware collecting user locations
- Stalkerware collecting photos
- Stalkerware collecting intimate data
- Stalkerware collecting phone conversations and messages
For more news updates about stalkerware apps and other malicious applications, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
