We are often asked to examine a smartphone that the user believes has software on it that allows activity, such as calls and texts, to be monitored remotely. Our first question to the user is, “has anyone had physical access to the phone other than you?” There are very few apps that will actually remotely monitor smartphones, and there are none we know of that can be installed without having physical access and the password to the phone.
Also, these apps cannot be installed on an iPhone unless it is “jailbroken” which is a process that removes all restrictions placed upon the phone by the wireless carrier. In most cases, we have found that when we look at these “compromised smartphones,” there is no monitoring software installed on them.
A sure way to ensure that any monitoring software will not be installed on your phone is to make sure your phone is password protected and that you do not let anyone you do not trust have physical access to the phone.
