Security and general privacy tends to be of paramount importance to most mobile device users, and with very good reason. But while the battle to steer clear of the unscrupulously-intended, non-niceties of the mobile world are well documented, one company obscures its potentially dangerous spying app under a veil of legitimacy. mSpy, or My Spy is – as the developer notes, – designed for parents looking to keep a close eye on their children, or employers wishing to keep tabs on their employees, and anybody under surveillance must be notified in advance.
Unfortunately, the app, which runs in a special “stealth mode” is all but undetectable, and as such, the onus is on the downloader to do the “notifying” of the app’s existence. It’s not an ideal predicament, though, for an employer looking to catch an employee out is seldom likely to slip the spying app into a conversation over a morning bagel, and similarly, said employee is unlikely to take kindly to being spied upon.
Spying and tracking apps are dangerous enough, since they’re used by online sniffers to extract banking and security or password information from victims. The trail of destruction left behind is often devastating, and so while mSpy’s transparency is perhaps appreciated, it does, without question, have the potential to threaten the security and privacy of ordinary users.
Although the makers of the app purport a legitimate service, the fact that it is hailed as being undetectable makes us wonder whether this is merely a public calling for hackers with ulterior motives.
The app is available to those on both iOS and Android, although not only does it require access in order to be installed – i.e., if you keep your phone locked at all times, you’ll be fine, as it cannot be installed remotely – but those on iOS will need to be running a jailbroken iPhone in order for mSpy to infiltrate. As you would imagine, this app doesn’t quite comply with App Store regulations, and even if it did, it wouldn’t be able to gain the kind of access required to silently log keystrokes, calls and location info.
The plans for the mSpy service start at $40 a month, and since the company claims to have over one million paid subscribers, those looking to avoid being spied upon had better keep their smartphones close to hand.
For more info regarding the app and the packages available, simply visit: mspy.com
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