Mobile adoption is growing rapidly throughout the world, thanks to accessibility and affordability. Smartphones, in particular, have gained a lot of interest. A report predicts there will be 7.33 Bn smartphones by 2025. Android leads this market, seconded by none other than iOS.
On the one hand, this means a rise in opportunities, but on the other hand, it widens the landscape for security threats. Mobiles are getting vulnerable, and while there are ways to protect desktops and laptops, it is now time to understand mobile security and its threats. These kinds of attacks are in the form of malware and spyware, and likely, the users don’t even get an idea of being hacked. From tracking, stealing, and selling data to getting access to login credentials, messages, and phone calls- there are so many ways a hacker can take advantage of the information. Besides connecting on public wireless networks and downloading untrusted apps, APIs also contribute to these security breaches.
Social engineering, phishing, ransomware, and crypto-jacking are some of the most common and deadly attacks. It is important to understand the threats associated with your device, eliminate these risks, and ensure safety. It’s not always the unsecured apps. Sometimes even downloading a mere pdf can be a huge mistake. It becomes even riskier if you have business details or handle your work by phone.
Price to pay for your ‘smartphones’
Is there any way to protect your sensitive data? As the internet continues to crawl and track your behavior, is the risk of losing your details worth the risk? Yes, it is extremely important to ask these questions and do everything possible to ensure privacy and security standards are maintained. A zero-trust approach must be taken when it comes to this. How do malware and ransomware access mobile devices beyond users’ control?
While there are many contributing factors to this, one of the primary and most common is the use of a microphone and camera. Most of the apps today ask for microphone and camera permissions while downloading, and it is important for their functions more than often. However, sometimes they remain on in the background without the users’ knowledge, and this may get out of hand.
Although Google and Apple both try to keep up with their cyber security quotient, some spyware still manages to reach the users. As security threats become a rising problem, it is extremely important to understand the basics and do the needful. Multi-factor authentication, downloading only secure and trusted applications, not permitting unnecessary applications to access mic and camera, etc., are some of the measures users are advised to take. However, it is easier said than done. It is really hard to detect mobile spyware, and thankfully, in the digital age of 2022, users can now take expert help to ensure data privacy.
This is where an app such as Antistalker comes as a savior. Antistalker is aimed to help users identify mobile spyware. Developed by Malloc Inc., a Cyprus-based startup, the application sensors and detects if the camera/microphone is discreetly on in the background.
Leave the work to experts
The app is founded by Maria Terzi, Artemis Kontou, and Liza Charalambous. The three co-founders are Ph.D. graduates in cybersecurity, machine learning, and engineering from Imperial College London, University of Lancaster. They also have work experience at big tech giants Google, Shell, and AkzoNobel.
The platform is currently backed by Y Combinator, a top-tier US accelerator, and other US-based funds and notable angels. The app also monitors the data being sent through the phone and allows users to control the same. This way, a smartphone user can see what app is sending data and take action if required. According to the co-founders, Malloc is on a mission to help users gain control over their data and privacy.
Another notable feature of the app is that it helps detect stalkerware. According to the startup’s research, the application is currently used by victims of stalking by their partner/spouse or other people. They also found out that Antistalker is more effective in detecting camera and mic incidents than Android 12 in some incidents.
The app also acts as a VPN and root checker. So, users can see if the security has been misconfigured. Additionally, the ML-based mobile application has features such as an anti-theft alarm, data insights, and even a full report on the security health of your device. It allows the user to see the detections and data that has been blocked by the app.
It also claims to be the only app that allows the user to control when applications are collecting data and block them from doing so when you are not using them. Antistalker has more than 500K downloads and has detected over 550K incidents so far, making it a popular application in its category.