I’ve been warning you for months of these privacy violating apps that secretly expose and steal your deeply private information.
Now stalkerware apps are more prevalent and dangerously present in both the Google Play store for Android and Apple App store.
How stalkerware works
Stalkerware is surveillanceware designed to allow someone else access to your personal and private data. The most dangerous of these privacy violating apps can record your phone calls, access voicemail, texts, email and record every stroke of your keyboard. The worst part is that they can be downloaded unknowingly from both official app stores for Apple and Google Android phones. Some stalkerware is hidden inside seemingly harmless apps like games or tools.
How to Find Stalkerware on your phone
Whether using an iPhone or Android phone, there are some similar telltale signs that you may have stalkerware installed.
Battery drains fast.
Apps that run in the background have a tendency to pull a lot of power to spy on you.
Use Protection to Scan.
Third party apps like a good anti virus, anti malware app and software for all devices can identify an stalkerware intrusion. See the best 2021 protection recommendations below.
Update smartphone software.
Even better, set your phone to update to the latest operating software automatically. The most recent fresh operating software is the best one at protecting against these types of intrusive stalkerware apps, especially those running the background invisibly.
App Privacy Report feature can reveal stalkerware after a few days.
If you are using an Apple iPhone, the new iOS 15 software has one of the best privacy tools ever introduced for this very problem. It’s called the App Privacy Report.
It records what all of the apps downloaded to your phone are accessing related to your personal privacy and shows what is being accessed over the past 7 days. See how App Privacy Report works here.
At the moment, there are hundreds if not thousands of stalkerware apps in the official Google Play store for Android. And yes, there are fewer but still many inside Apple’s more pure App Store.
Watch out for these stalkerware apps
- Agent
- Cerberus
- Flash Keylogger
- MobileTool
- WebWatcher
Those are 5 of hundreds that could be on your smartphone right now.
How to protect yourself against malware
One of the top anti-virus apps for both Androids and iPhones is TotalAV. Their product is full of features to keep you safe from malware and protect you when browsing the internet including ransomware protection, real-time antivirus protection, elimination of viruses and malware, a tool to free up your computer’s space, plus more. Limited time deal for CyberGuy readers: $19 your first year (80% off)
Follow this advice to regain control over your privacy. Then share this important safety guidance with people you love.