Kaspersky Lab Enables Special Mobile Alert To Protect People From Stalkers

Kaspersky Lab has upgraded its Kaspersky Internet Security for Android with Privacy Alert, a new feature that warns the users if their private information is being monitored via commercially available spyware.

While this kind of software is deemed to be legal, the program’s presence is often both unwanted and unknown by the user affected. In some cases, a program’s download page specifically states the software is intended to be used for secretly spying on the user. For this reason, Kaspersky Lab decided to introduce a special alert for such programs, enabling those affected to decide for themselves what they want to do about it.

Commercial spyware programs are background running apps installed on phones, which can be used to monitor and track device activity. Usually used to spy on partners or ex-partners, nothing can stop people from using such programs to target specific individuals for malicious purposes. This is often done without the victim’s knowledge, leading to these types of programs being commonly referred to as “stalkerware.” While functionality varies, it often allows the people who installed it to access their victim’s device information, messages, photographs, social media conversations, geolocation data and, in certain cases, to transfer audio and camera recordings in real time.

Stalkerware