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February 2016

News

The Rising Popularity of Spy Apps: Should iPhone Users Be Concerned?

Spying technology has reached new horizons over the last few years in terms of capability. This has resulted in a sudden increase in its demand, causing serious concerns for the iPhone users who have long been under the impression that their devices are protected through impeccable security protocols. The truth is that although iPhone is a difficult target for iOS spy apps, especially in its non-jailbroken state, it’s no longer invulnerable. On the contrary, it is just as much at the mercy of spying technology as the seemingly insecure Android devices.

Growing Popularity Not a Good Sign

In the past, it was assumed that spy apps are only used by cybercriminals or professional spies. Lately, ordinary people have also started using these apps as they have become readily available, user-friendly, and much cheaper than they were not too long ago. A quick Google search on keywords like “spy apps” give more than 30 million results, which clearly indicates that their popularity has already been realized. The demand for spy apps has already attracted skilled developers into the niche, leading to more products, growing competition, and better quality. While the developers and customers of spy apps may be benefiting from the existing situation, iPhone users would surely be considering it extremely alarming.

Popularity of Spy Apps

Spy Apps Have Become Ridiculously Powerful

Spy apps have been around for many years now, but what’s troubling for iPhone users is that these apps are evolving rapidly through integration of new advanced features. In fact, they’ve even broken free of the shackles of prerequisites like jailbreak and physical installation on the device, though the threat is currently limited to only a handful of spying solution. That unfortunately is not all. The already existing features like location tracking, call recording, browsing history, etc. have undergone massive improvement as well, allowing snoops and other individuals with malicious intent to keep tabs on target iPhones with unprecedented authority and convenience. Even the signs that traditionally helped users to detect unwelcomed guests on their devices have been taken care of to a large extent by the developers of dedicated spy apps, thus giving iPhone users plenty of reason to feel worried about the privacy of their data, and even their security.

Mitigating the Risk

iPhone users should not solely rely on Apple security and privacy mechanism. They should look for signs that reveal that their iOS device has been compromised. Although latest spy apps are quite adept at hiding their presence, there are still a few clues that can help you know if something just isn’t right. These include:

  • an increase in mobile data usage
  • strange calls and SMS messages from unknown numbers
  • faster battery drainage
  • distortion during calls

You must also take precautions to ensure that no one gets a chance to sneak an unwanted app into your iPhone or access your private data. For that, you should:

  • keep the firmware updated to the latest version
  • activate screen lock through long and complex password
  • never share your Apple ID or password with anyone
  • avoid jailbreaking your device to reduce the risk
  • refrain from connecting to insecure public networks

Be mindful of the fact that although spy apps are growing popular and powerful, you can still keep them at bay through due vigilance. Their success lies in your failure to exercise due caution.

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