{"id":52652,"date":"2024-11-22T06:11:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T11:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=52652"},"modified":"2024-11-22T06:11:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T11:11:18","slug":"airtag-and-stalkerware-protection-on-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/airtag-and-stalkerware-protection-on-android\/52652\/","title":{"rendered":"How to protect yourself from Bluetooth stalking and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

These days, it\u2019s not just government agencies or private detectives who can spy on you. Tracking has become so easy and cheap that jealous spouses<\/a>, car thieves<\/a>, and even overly suspicious employers are doing it. They don\u2019t have to peek around corners, hide in stores, or even get close to their target at all. A smartphone and a Bluetooth tracking beacon \u2014 like an Apple AirTag, Samsung Smart Tag or Chipolo \u2014 will do the job perfectly. According to one of the lawsuits filed against Apple, this method of spying is used in a variety of crimes \u2014 \u00a0from stalking ex-partners to planning murders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Luckily for all of us, there\u2019s protection! As part of Kaspersky\u2019s anti-stalking campaign, we\u2019ll explain how you could be tracked and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n

Online and offline tracking<\/h2>\n

Surveillance of a victim is typically carried out in one of two ways.<\/p>\n

Method one: purely software-based.<\/strong> A commercial tracking app is installed on the victim\u2019s smartphone \u2014 we call this category of apps stalkerware or spouseware<\/a>. Such apps are often marketed as \u201cparental control apps\u201d, but they differ from legitimate parental controls because the app\u2019s activity is kept hidden after installation. Most often, the app is entirely invisible on the device, though sometimes it disguises itself as something innocuous, like a messenger, game or photo-gallery app. Stalker apps can repeatedly transmit the victim\u2019s geolocation to a server, send messages and other confidential data from the device to an attacker, and even activate the microphone to record audio.<\/p>\n

The main drawback of stalkerware for the attacker is the difficulty of installation\u00a0\u2014 it requires gaining access to the victim\u2019s unlocked smartphone for some time. That\u2019s why, in many cases, especially when it\u2019s an ex-partner or car thief doing the stalking, they use the other method.<\/p>\n

Method two: a wireless beacon.<\/strong> A tracking device is planted on the victim. In a car, it might be hidden in an inconspicuous spot, such as behind the license plate; for a person, the tracker could be slipped into a bag or among other personal items.<\/p>\n

Originally, Bluetooth trackers \u2014 small devices about the size of a coin \u2014 were invented to help locate lost belongings such as keys, wallets or luggage. However, if planted on a target, their movements can be tracked in near real-time using a special app. Incidentally, many of today\u2019s Bluetooth headphones also have built-in tracking functionality to make them easier to find \u2014 and these too can be used for stalking. So, if you happen to find a pair of fancy headphones lying around, don\u2019t start thinking it\u2019s your lucky day \u2014 they may have been deliberately planted in order to track your movements, even after you pair them with your own smartphone.<\/p>\n

Tracking technology works even if the beacon is well beyond the Bluetooth range of the stalker\u2019s smartphone: other smartphones help locate the \u201clost\u201d item. Many of the latest Android and iOS devices report the location of nearby visible beacons to the central servers of Google or Apple. As a result, these tech giants are able to locate any beacon if there\u2019s any modern Bluetooth-enabled smartphone with internet access nearby.<\/p>\n

The most popular beacon is still the Apple AirTag, and Apple has gone to a lot of trouble since the first product launch to protect users from malicious use of the tracker. The latest AirTags start beeping to attract attention if they remain away from their owner\u2019s smartphone for too long. However, attackers can easily bypass this protection by damaging the speaker on the tracker. Such hacked tags with disabled speakers can even by bought \u2014 easily.<\/p>\n

How to protect yourself from surveillance<\/h2>\n

To safeguard yourself from both online and offline tracking, we recommend using Kaspersky for Android<\/a>. This tool now includes the \u201cWho\u2019s spying on me\u201d feature, which allows you to quickly detect surveillance.<\/p>\n

Protection against tracking beacons.<\/strong> Fortunately, by their very nature, trackers can never be completely invisible, as they\u2019re constantly signaling their presence via Bluetooth. A smartphone equipped with reliable protection<\/a>\u00a0can alert the user if an unregistered Bluetooth device is frequently detected nearby or in various different locations. If such a device moves around with you or stays close for too long, Kaspersky for Android<\/a>\u00a0will notify you.<\/p>\n

Upon discovering a tracker, it\u2019s essential to examine it closely. Sometimes, the situation may be innocent, such as if a family member you spend a lot of time with has a tracker attached to their keys. Occasionally, there may be trackers on rental vehicles or laptops (although rental companies are required to notify users and include this in the contract).<\/p>\n

Protection against stalkerware.<\/strong> Kaspersky Premium<\/a>\u00a0detects known stalkerware apps. Oh, and by the way \u2014 did you know that Kaspersky products won a stalkerware detection<\/a> test? If such apps \u2014 or even their installation files, whether downloaded by you or someone else \u2014 are found on your device, Kaspersky for Android<\/a>\u00a0will alert you immediately<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Kaspersky<\/a>

Kaspersky for Android detects both installed stalkerware apps (on the right) and their installation files (on the left)<\/p><\/div>\n

Even users of the free version of Kaspersky for Android<\/a> can scan for stalkerware. The only difference in this case between Kaspersky Premium<\/a>\u00a0and the free version is that in Kaspersky Premium<\/a>, scanning is done automatically and continuously. In the free version of Kaspersky for Android<\/a>, users need to manually initiate each scan.<\/p>\n

Suspicious beacons that appear frequently in your vicinity will be listed and labeled in the Device Scanner section.<\/p>\n

\"Kaspersky<\/a>

Kaspersky for Android warns you about spy trackers and provides guidance on what to do<\/p><\/div>\n

Meanwhile, the permission-control feature regularly checks the access of apps to your camera, microphone, location and Bluetooth, so you can quickly identify suspicious new apps.<\/p>\n

Additional precautions <\/strong>Several general security and cyber-hygiene measures can make it harder for anyone to track you, and are recommended for all users:<\/p>\n