How to Find ‘Stalkerware’ on Your Devices – Guide
If you’re a boss, make sure you have a policy against anyone snooping on your devices. But if someone does, be sure to hide the software and protect yourself from possible damage. If someone is paranoid about their devices, they might try to install stalkerware to protect themselves.
There are a wide variety of scenarios here, from friends playing pranks to partners being abusive. If you are in a relationship where you feel stuck and scared, there are many places to get help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, Coalition Against Stalkerware, and many other places can provide support. Please get in touch if you need help. ..
If you’re concerned about the privacy of your personal data, it’s important to understand the different ways your employer can collect and use that information. For example, if you work for a company that uses software to manage employee productivity, the software may track how much time you spend on specific tasks and report that information back to your employer. This type of tracking is often considered a legitimate way for companies to improve their operations. ..
Your company’s ownership of phones and laptops means that you are always being monitored. It is better for you to assume this and be prepared for it.
Parental control software can be used for legitimate purposes, such as monitoring children’s internet usage or restricting their access to certain applications or websites. However, there are also a number of applications designed to be hidden and undetectable, which can be used for more nefarious purposes, such as tracking the whereabouts of children or spying on their activities. It is important to be aware of the different types of parental control software available and how they can be used. ..
How to check your Phone
The bad news for iPhone users is that it’s virtually impossible to install stalkerware on an iPhone: Apple’s locked-down approach to apps and app security isn’t always user-friendly, but it’s very effective in keeping you safe. iOS simply doesn’t allow apps to dig deep enough into the system software to secretly monitor what you’re doing on yours.
If you have an iPhone that is not locked, you can check to see if it has been jailbroken by looking for apps called Cydia and SBSettings in the home screen.
If you have an unlocked iPhone, a full factory reset should fix it (and clear everything else, so make sure your important items are backed up somewhere). This is best done through a connected Mac or Windows computer, and Apple has a complete guide to the process you can work here.
Google has removed a number of apps from the Play Store for allegedly being used to track and spy on Android users, but if you have defined your own phone and no one else has had it for more than a few seconds, it should be free from any stalkerware.
If your phone has been compromised, you may notice that it gets hot or the battery drains quickly while you’re not using it. You may also see unexpected notifications or longer than expected shutdown or startup times. It’s not an exact science – stalking apps are designed to be hard to detect, but any kind of unusual phone the behavior can be revealing.
Android users can check for stalkingware apps by tapping Apps & notifications, then tap See all apps. If there are any suspicious apps listed, you can also check for them in the Android settings menu by looking for menu items that don’t look right or that you didn’t notice before.
The app Incognito offers peace of mind by hiding your activity from the app’s tracking. It is highly recommended by users, and should tell you if you have something to worry about.
How to check your computer
If you’re using a Windows or macOS computer, there are some basic steps you can take to protect yourself from stalkerware. First, make sure that only authorized people have access to your computer. Second, be careful about what software you install – don’t let someone trick you into installing something malicious. And finally, keep your computer physically secure – don’t leave it unguarded in a public place. ..
Both Microsoft and Apple are aware of the stalkerware problem, and they will both detect and block some hidden tools without any extra help. This is a problem because stalkerware can usually be detected by a third-party security package like Norton, Bitdefender or Malwarebytes.
If you want to do your own research, open up Task Manager or Activity Monitor on your computer to see what’s running. Keep in mind that spyware usually doesn’t have a real name and may try to impersonate a system application or use a short name that you might not notice. ..
Please check all the guides that come up in the screen dialog. If you see something you don’t recognize or something that doesn’t match up for programs that you know you’ve installed, or that just seem suspicious in their behavior (perhaps excessive disk usage), a quick web search for the application or process name is usually enough to reveal what you’re dealing with.
If you’re not sure about an app’s startup, you can check for it in the Startup menu of the Task Manager on Windows or in System Preferences on macOS.
There are some extra permissions that stalkerware applications probably need on macOS: In System Preferences, go to Security and Privacy and then Privacy. Check the Inbound Monitoring and Full Disk Access entries as spy software often needs these permissions. Windows doesn’t have exactly the same setup, but you can see what permissions apps have (including location, camera access, and so on) by choosing Privacy from the Settings menu and scrolling down to App Permissions.
If you’re concerned that your employer is monitoring your work, there are a few things you can do to try and get rid of any hidden monitoring tools. If you’re sure that there are tools being used, a full system reboot may be the best solution. ..
How to check your accounts
This is why it’s so important for people to be careful about who they share their personal information with. If someone is able to get access to your online accounts or devices, they can easily access all of your personal information, including your photos, videos, and contact information. This could lead to a lot of problems for you, and it’s important that you take steps to protect yourself from this type of attack.
Final note
How to Find ‘Stalkerware’ on Your Devices ..
