Stalkerware

Regularly check the permission of installed apps since a stalkerware can be disguised as a fake app.

Stalkerware has also been linked to other forms of violent behavior.

But, Galperin said that it’s possible that security firms aren’t as good at detecting stalkerware as they used to be, or stalkers have moved from software-based surveillance to physical surveillance enabled by AirTags and other Bluetooth-enabled trackers.

Then there is the issue that stalkerware makers have proven time and time again that they cannot keep data secure — neither data belonging to the customers nor their victims or targets.

Global cyber-security leader Avast has in a note warned that there was a 51 per cent increase in the use of spyware and stalkerware during the lockdown period from March to June.

Cybersecurity experts see over 37,000 stalkerware intrusion attempts in the first eight months of this year, showing an increase of 35 per cent when compared to the numbers in the same period previous year.