A Fella Public Service Announcement

Our Connected Society is a Wonderful thing…Or is it?

Our Smartphones are Wonderful things…Or are they?

The Internet is a Wonderful thing…Or is it?

All of the above Wonderfuls are Wonderful but that does not mean they are Wonderful all the time.

Below is an excerpt from an information piece sent to me by Malwarebytes. It tells us that we had all better be aware that there is a lot of danger hidden in our Modern Electronic Toys.

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Stalkerware is software that was created to monitor a person’s activities on their computer or, more commonly, their mobile device without the person being monitored knowing that they are being monitored. Though often advertised as a tool for parents to track their children’s activities, these apps are more commonly used for nefarious purposes.

Here are some of the things Stalkerware Applications can do while hidden from view…

 Track unsuspecting victims’ locations

 Record calls

 View text messages

 Pry into locally-stored photos

 Rifle through web-browsing activity

Here is a list of information that Stalkerware can gather (all of which can be sent to a remote user) as well as activities an abuser can conduct on a user’s device without their knowing or consent...

 Can see your Geographic Location by using your GPS

 Can see the IP Address of your device

 Can have access to your SMS Message History

 Can see your Phone Call History (including call length)

 Can see your Browser History

 Can see your Contacts (including phone numbers and email addresses)

 Can see your Email Account Credentials

 Can see your Email Content from all accounts accessed from device

 Can see Photos, Videos, and hear Audio Recordings and stored on the device or connected cloud account

 Can Take Pictures using your front/rear camera

 Can Record Audio using your device’s microphone

 Can remotely Turn On and Turn Off your device

Malwarebytes detects Stalkerware Applications through the longtime mobile threat category monitor, which is a subset of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Because some of these Stalkerware Applications can be used “legitimately,” they are currently flagged as programs users might not want on their phones. However, once presented with what Stalkerware can do (or once gaining knowledge of a program that’s been installed on their device without consent), many users will likely want to delete these apps.

These applications represent real-life threats to domestic abuse victims, who can readily be tracked down (along with their children), even when hidden in shelters.

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Be Afraid…Be Very Afraid.

I wish I were kidding u.

Smartfella