Spywares are a a computer softwares that allows unknown individuals to hear and register your conversations and copy your files. Once installed on a computer, the program records all operations performed by the victim and sends them to a web server where the spy can see them. In most cases, the software keeps a history of incoming and outgoing calls (date, time, duration, numbers), stores the SMS sent and received, records incoming and outgoing mail with the date and time and the contact name, collects the addresses of visited websites and provides access to photos and videos stored on the mobile phone. Some are used to track the movements of the owner using the GPS of the device and intercept messages sent by Skype, Snapchat, Twitter, BBM, iMessage, Facebook, WhatsApp.
Can these programs be installed remotely?
No. To install a spy software on a phone, the spy must have a physical access to the device. It is also necessary to activate the mobile, bypass the screen lock. In some cases, the spy will bypass the security system software and have a “root” access (on Android) or “jailbreak” the security system (on iPhone). These operations are well documented online.
How do I know if my phone is tapped?
Watch for suspicious behavior of your cell phone: SMS to unknown recipients, alert messages related to research network, unexpected reboots, suspicious activity when the phone is supposed to be on standby mode. If your Android device indicates that an application is assigned administrator privileges or “superuser”, there is a chance that this application is spyware. If your iPhone has an application called Cydia, is that your machine has been “jailbroken” to bypass Apple’s protection and install unauthorized programs. If you don’t know what to do in this situation, it is recommended to rest your iPhone and perform an update to remove the “jailbreak” and therefore the potential risk of being spied .
How can I protect myself?
Secure your device and your Internet accounts with strong passwords, different and impossible to guess even for your family. Avoid lending your smartphone to a friend “who knows” or to a colleague who wants to “test” and even to your jealous wife. If in doubt, install a reliable security program (Kaspersky Mobile Security, Lookout, VirusBarrier) which will detect the presence of spyware. More radical: Back up the contents of your phone on a computer or online, then do a complete reset to return to the “factory” configuration. Remove the battery from your notebook when you are not using it: no power supply, it can give no signal, indicating its position or communicate information to an online server. Finally, the ultimate solution: purchase a second phone …
