This is alarming stuff! I was skeptical at first about the programs you see for sale on the internet to allow you to spy on your spouse, significant other or anyone else you choose. It's highly illegal! Except if you're putting the program on a phone that you own. Beware of anyone giving you a cell phone as a gift! Your sweetheart may be bitter about something and want to know more about what you're up to.
So how did we do it? Some of the websites don't deliver and do take your money, as we discovered when we tried to download one of the programs. But who's going to file a complaint, right? "Excuse me Mr. FTC, I was trying to download a program that could potentially be used to intercept private conversations and be could be potentially be breaking the law and I got ripped off!" I don't think so. But consumers are buying programs that do work, and to get to those programs we brought in the experts. We invited Dr.Priya Narasimhan , a computer engineer, from Carnegie Mellon's CyLab to come to the Nation's Capital to do a demonstration with us. Click here to see the story then come back here for more details.
What We Learned
1.The 'smarter' the phone the more vulnerable it can be. Example: It has blue tooth capability, gps enabled, internet access, conference calling etc. There are more 'ways in'.
2. Symantec has developed scanning programs for mobility devices to detect spyware activity.
3. Every time new detection is developed, hackers come up with a way around it. For example IPhones are now for sale that have spy ware already installed, meaning hackers found a way around IPhones security protocols.
Warning Signs
1. Your smart phone is working slowly. That could be an indication spyware software is operating in the background.
2. Your data charges (text messaging) are going up because the monitor spy phone is getting that data downloaded as well
3. Your battery is draining faster than usual because it's not only having conversations with your party but 'conversations' with the third party spy phone.
What you can do?
1. Keep your phone in your possession. The spy ware software has to be physically installed on the phone for someone to monitor you, meaning the culprit doing the spying must have access to it for a period of time to set it up.
2. Take the battery out when you are suspicious that you could be monitored. Except that won't help when you're making a call.
3. Beware of someone offering you a phone as a gift.
4. If you think your phone has been compromised buy a new phone. Once the software is on your phone, anyone who knows what they are looking for can find the embedded code that will activate monitoring.
Let's open this up to discussion. Post your comments and links below.
Our test involved downloaded a program directly onto the phone. These programs are found on the internet. We were careful about telling people exactly what program we used or where to get it. We don't want to encourage this activity. It was the carrier's frequencies. That's why we said at the end your usage rates etc would be higher. When you say "so it can be investigated" by whom do you mean?
We contacted the The International Association for Wireless Telecommunications and they did not want to participate in this story.
