Find out who is spying on you with the new Kaspersky feature for Android

Kaspersky is introducing a new feature to its mobile apps for Android – “Who’s Spying on Me”, expanding its protection against digital stalking.

In addition to stalkerware detection, the new feature provides protection against offline stalking by detecting suspicious devices that track the location of a person or object via Bluetooth technology.

According to the latest State of Stalkerware report40% of people surveyed worldwide said they had experienced stalking or suspected they were being spied on. Kaspersky remains committed to protecting users from digital stalking and has recently updated its mobile portfolio for Android by introducing a new feature that is also available in the free version.

Who’s Spying on Me is a set of features that provide comprehensive protection against online and offline stalking. It not only detects stalkerware that abusers install to track their victims, but also notifies users of hidden Bluetooth devices, including wireless tags, that can be used to track the movement and location of a person or object.

For example, with Kaspersky’s new feature, users will be able to see a list of suspicious devices that have been nearby and in the same location for a long time. In addition, users can compile a list of trusted devices, get weekly statistics of unique Bluetooth devices detected in their environment, and schedule a series of scanning sessions.

The “Who is spying on me” option includes the following:

• Scan for stalkerver which detects spy apps and software that can access a person’s messages, emails, photos, contacts, call history and geolocation that may be secretly installed on a smartphone. This feature is now available in the free version of the app;
• Device scan which detects Bluetooth tracking within a radius of 100 meters (taking into account physical obstacles that can weaken the radio signal), such as a wireless tag placed in a car by an offender planning to steal it;
• Risk assessment. All detected Bluetooth devices are classified (eg airtag, smart tag or other BLE tags, etc.) and suspicious devices are flagged. For example, a device with a static MAC address that constantly changes location along with the object and has a strong signal will be flagged as suspicious;
• Permission controli.e. informing users about installed applications that are allowed to use the smartphone’s camera, microphone and location services. The aim is to pay extra attention to users’ privacy and help them carefully manage the appropriate settings.

“Kaspersky continues to lead the fight against stalkerware since we were among the first to warn users about this type of tracking by third parties. As digital violence evolves, especially with new tracking technologies, we understand that users need enhanced protection. We are constantly developing our products with a user-centric approach and have expanded the functionality of our mobile application to protect users from digital tracking, including offline formats, which can be very dangerous. Moreover, our team continues to work on further improvements to the functionality of our mobile solutions that will be introduced next year in order to develop an even better user experience and protection of users’ digital lives,” says Marina Titova, Vice President of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky.

Leading the fight against stalkerware, Kaspersky became the first company to introduce spyware protection in Kaspersky Antivirus for Android in 2019. In the same year, the company was one of the co-founders of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, an initiative that brings together private IT companies, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and law enforcement authorities to fight against intrusive software and raise awareness of the abuses that uses technology. Working with global law enforcement agencies, the Coalition fights cyberstalking and provides critical support to victims of online abuse. What started with 10 actors has now expanded to more than 40 of them working together to share professional experiences and solve the problem of online violence. Website The coalition, available in seven languages, offers guidance and help to victims who suspect that an abuser has installed stalkerware on their device.

Download the updated Kaspersky for Android here.

Photo: Kaspersky