Since we use devices such as smartphones and PC’s almost every day for our common good, they also can be disruptive. While we have probably heard instances of governments snooping other peoples online activities or hackers stealing other people’s information and selling it on the black web, a trend that is now catching up quickly is that of stalkerware.
This is a practice where a person can purchase software to spy on a victim’s activities without being detected. The software is highly sophisticated, and not many may even know they are being stalked. Read on as we look at ways you can detect whether you are a victim and how to remove it so that you can continue making those important phone calls, Facetime, working, studying and even playing your favourite games on sites such as Comeon online casino without somebody snooping on what you are doing with your device.
What is stalkerware?
The way stalkerware is marketed is that of parental control or employee tracking solution software. This means it aims to monitor what one is doing on a PC or smartphone. It is even distributed legally in some places. It has vague terms and conditions, which state that you cannot use in ways that may be deemed illegal in the jurisdiction where you live.
One of the reasons it is hard to find this software is that it is designed to stay hidden and run in the background without the user’s permission. Since such apps are not allowed in Google Play Store, they will most likely find their way on your phone by someone else who has access to your device to install it.
What to look for when detecting stalkerware
The first thing to look out for when you suspect someone is stalking you through your devices is the battery life. Since it is running in the background without your permission, your battery may be draining a lot faster than usual. Another sign you may be a victim is when your smartphone is constantly overheating. This is because stalkerware uses a lot of power to run.
You may also want to check your internet data reports and the permissions you have given for installed apps. Since it is a sophisticated program, it may be disguising itself under another name, making it hard to suspect it is present. Although these can be signs the program is running on your PC or smartphone, it is no solid proof. You may need to run an antivirus scanner if you suspect you are being stalked.
Removing stalkerware from your phone
The easiest way to remove stalkerware is to use security software to detect and remove it. Another way is to do this is through a factory reset. However, this will erase all your data, so it is important to perform a backup. The backup option gives you peace of mind since hackers may use sophisticated methods to make it invisible to security software. If you are on a computer, you may want to run Malwarebytes free or other clean-up tools.
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