Spyware is never far from the headlines these days, as the recent report of a zero-click WhatsApp attack reminds us. The bad news for iPhone users is that Apple is aware that they are not immune from the spyware threat, issuing personalized user notifications as attacks are identified. Now comes the even more worrying bit: not all spying threats are sophisticated and target high-profile users. What if someone is tracking your iPhone right now? How could you tell and what could you do to stop it?
How To Tell If Your iPhone Is Being Tracked
A former U.K. law enforcement detective, Darren Stanton, told researchers from Techopedia that searches for tracking apps have increased by 8% over the last three months, according to Google Trends, and whatever the reason for the tracking, it’s easier than ever to accomplish. Less easy, Stanton said, is discovering if your iPhone is being tracked in the first place. “Short of recognizing an app on your phone, there is not really any way of telling if someone is tracking you,” Stanton warned; if you were being bugged by law enforcement, you would never know.”
The former British cop has experience in dealing with cases that have relevance to the matter. “I’ve known occasions in the past where someone has suspected their partner of cheating and knew their iCloud login details,” he said, “so has logged in to track them without the other person knowing.”
Then there are the child-tracking apps designed for parents and abused by stalkers to take into account. Although these require a confirmation on the tracked device before activation, that’s hardly out of the question for an abusive and controlling partner to achieve.
Stanton said that “if the battery is hot, the phone takes a long time to turn on, or there’s a lot more data usage than you expect, these can be telltale signs that another app is controlling your device.” Which is true, but hardly state of the art when it comes to spyware detection.
When it comes to the spyware threat, I’m an advocate of the Am I Secure app for iPhone users. I have no financial interest in the application and the only benefit I get from it is protection. It’s a consumer version of an on-premises app used by governments to protect against spyware. The app is capable of detecting even nation-state level implants or spyware and is free to use for standard scanning, with a subscription required for advanced spyware detection.
Stealthy iPhone Tracking Mitigation Advice
“Fortunately, if you have an iPhone, it’s difficult to track a phone unknowingly unless the phone is jailbroken,” Stanton said, and provided just one piece of mitigation advice for concerned users: Make sure your phone has the latest operating system so its security measures are up to date.
My colleague Kate O’Flaherty has one additional piece of iPhone spyware mitigation advice that is, as always, well worth taking note of:
Restart your iPhone regularly, as this can disrupt spyware’s access to your device temporarily.
