Kaspersky is introducing a new feature in its mobile apps for Android – Who’s Spying on Me, extending its protection against digital stalking.
In addition to stalkerware detection, the new feature provides protection from offline stalking by detecting suspicious devices tracking the location of a person or object via Bluetooth technology.
According to the latest State of Stalkerware report, 40% of people surveyed worldwide stated they have experienced stalking or suspect they are being spied on.
Who’s Spying on Me is a set of functions providing protection against both online and offline stalking. It not only detects stalkerware installed by abusers to monitor their victims, but also notifies users about clandestine Bluetooth devices, including wireless tags, which can be used to track the movements and location of a person or object.
For instance, with Kaspersky’s new feature users will be able to see on the application screen a list of suspicious devices that have been nearby for a long time and in the same location. In addition, users can compile a list of trusted devices, obtain weekly statistics of unique Bluetooth devices detected in their surroundings, and schedule a series of scanning sessions.
The functionality of Who’s Spying on Me includes:
- A stalkerware scanner that detects spying apps and software that can access the person’s messages, emails, photos, contacts, phone call history, and geolocation, which may have been secretly installed on the smartphone. This functionality is now available in the free version of the app.
- A device scanner that discovers Bluetooth trackers within a 100-meter radius (accounting for physical barriers that may weaken the radio signal), such as a wireless tag planted in a car by a perpetrator allegedly planning to steal it.
- Risk assessment. All detected Bluetooth devices are classified (e.g. airtags, smart tags or other BLE tags, etc.), and suspicious devices are flagged. For instance, a device with a static MAC address that continuously changes its location along with the object, and has high signal strength, will be flagged as suspicious.
- Permission control, notifying users about installed apps that are allowed to use a smartphone’s camera, microphone, and location services. This aims to draw extra attention to user privacy and help them manage the relevant settings mindfully.
“Kaspersky has been at the forefront of the fight against stalkerware, and we were the first in the industry to warn users about third-party tracking of this type,” comments Marina Titova, vice-president: consumer product marketing at Kaspersky. “As digital violence evolves, especially with emerging tracking technologies, we understand that our users need extended protection.
“We are continuously developing our products with a user-focused approach and have expanded the functionality of our mobile app in order to protect users from digital stalking, including its offline formats, which can be very dangerous.
“Moreover, our team continues to work on further improvements to the functionality of our mobile solutions, to be introduced next year, for an even better user experience and the protection of users’ digital lives.”