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You probably know there are plenty of apps you can install on your
smartphone to track its location in case it gets lost or stolen. Apple’s
“Find My iPhone” is one good one and many security apps, such as AVG Mobilation, can track down a phone in seconds.
But what if someone else is tracking you? Is there any chance your boss or spouse could be spying on everything you do on your phone?
It’s easy to do. Spy apps are plentiful and can imperceptibly track
text and e-mail messages, location, Web sites you visit, who you call
and what photos and videos you shoot. The problem is these apps are
difficult to detect and run invisibly in the background.
I decided to track my son and installed an app on his phone called Android Phone Control by Laucass (free on Google Play – formerly called the Android Market).
Of course, secretly intercepting electronic communications without the
person’s knowledge and consent is illegal, so I told my son I was doing
it and that I’d only use it if I had good reason.
Every day I receive emails that indicate my son’s location as he’s
using his phone out in the world. I can click on those links in my email
to see via Google Maps where he is (although I very rarely do). I could
also set up the app to send me data about everything else he’s doing on
his phone, but that’s not something I personally need—or want—to do.
Techlicious
Signs your phone may have been compromised
- Someone borrowed or took your phone
I had to have my son’s phone in hand to install Android Phone
Control. Once activated, however, there’s no icon in the application
launcher. The app shows up with the name “Android System” in the
applications manager so it doesn’t look suspicious. If you think someone
could do something like this when you’re not paying attention or
asleep, secure your phone with a passcode that isn’t easy to guess.
- Your phone is acting weirdly
Taking forever to shut off, lighting up for no reason, suddenly
getting much shorter battery life or running hot when you’re not using
it may indicate hidden processes are running in the background.
- Your data usage skyrockets for no reason
This could be because your phone is checking in with someone else,
using GPS and sending them text messages or emails that communicate
where you are and what you’re doing.
What do do if you suspect your phone’s being monitored
The best thing to do is perform a factory reset, which you can find
as an option in your phone’s settings. Know, however, that in doing so
you will lose all data stored on your phone, so back it up first.
If you’re using Apple iCloud or Android 4.0, items like your
contacts, photos and music are automatically synced and saved in the
cloud. But if you have an older phone, you’ll want to make sure to
export your contacts before doing a factory reset. There are various
ways to do this depending on what phone you’re using and which operating
system it’s running. If you’re not sure, get help from your cellular
provider; they can make sure to retain your contacts and other important
data during a factory reset.
You’ll then want to use a strong passcode to prevent unauthorized
access to your device. For Android devices, you can also install an app,
like AppNotifier (free on Google Play), that will email you when programs are loaded onto your phone.
You’ll then have to tackle the issue of who’s doing the monitoring.
Keep in mind that if your device was issued by your company or is
authorized to access your company’s email and other data services, you
may have given your consent as part of your employment contract or when
access was data access was granted.
More stories from Techlicious:
- Tracking your kids
- Can you use technology without risking your privacy?
- Contemplating divorce? Beware social networks
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Article source: http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/someone-spying-your-phone-675331
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