REDWOOD CITY, Calif.,
July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Avast (LSE:AVST), a global leader in digital security and
privacy products, has found that there has been a 51% increase in
the use of spy- and stalkerware since the lockdown in March until
June in comparison to January and February
2020. In the US, since March, Avast has protected over 3,500
users from apps capable of spying, mostly stalkerware, with the
monthly average up 62% vs. the first two months of the year.
Stalkerware is unethical software that allows people to track
someone's location, access their personal photos and videos,
intercept emails, texts and app communications such as WhatsApp and
Facebook, as well as eavesdrop on phone calls and make covert
recordings of conversations over the internet, without the target's
knowledge or consent.
This growing digital threat identified by Avast is set against a
backdrop of an increase in domestic violence during lockdown,
called a "shadow epidemic" of the coronavirus by Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.
Researchers in the US recently published an academic study
examining the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on police calls for
service for domestic violence. According to the report, the
pandemic and accompanying public health response led to a 10.2
percent increase in domestic violence calls. The increase in
reported domestic violence incidents began before official
stay-at-home orders were put into place, is not driven by any
particular demographic group, but does appear to be driven by
households without a prior history of domestic
violence.1
The increase in connected devices and the availability of
stealthy spy- and stalkerware apps are another way for abusers to
exert control over their victims who have been unable to leave
their home due to coronavirus preventative measures, according to
Erica Olsen, Safety Net project
director for the National Network to end Domestic Violence (NNEDV),
a social change organization dedicated to creating a social,
political, and economic environment in which violence against women
no longer exists.
"Stalkerware, which is designed to operate in stealth mode with
no persistent notification to the user of the device, gives abusers
and stalkers a robust and invasive tool to perpetrate harassment,
monitoring, stalking, and abuse," said Olsen.
"This can be terrifying and traumatizing for the person. It also
raises significant safety risks when the products allow the abusive
person to track and locate the victim without their consent or
knowledge. During this public health crisis, there have been
several reports documenting the increased detection of stalkerware,
which could be indicative of increased access to personal devices
during lockdown or stay-at-home orders. It could also be reflective
of an abuser increasing or changing their tactic if the victim is
now actually out of the house more often, if they are an essential
worker in healthcare, for example.
Jaya Baloo, CISO, Avast said,
"Stalkerware is a growing category of domestic malware with
disturbing and dangerous implications. While spyware and
infostealers seek to steal personal data, stalkerware is different:
it steals the physical and online freedom of the victim. Usually
installed secretly on mobile phones by abusive spouses,
ex-partners, so-called friends, and even concerned parents,
stalkerware tracks the physical location of the victim, monitors
sites visited on the internet, text messages and phone calls,
undermining a person's individual liberty and online freedom."
"Across the globe, it's been reported that the number of
domestic violence cases have consistently increased during
lockdown, and that tallies with what we're seeing in this digital
threat. We're committed to doing all that we can to protect our
users from this rising threat."
It's notable that among the entire range of spy- and
stalkerware, Avast has also observed a number of COVID-19-related
apps designed to spy on users, which collected more information
about its users than required to function.
This increase in spy- and stalkerware since March 2020 is not just limited to the US; Avast
has protected over 43,000 users from such malware across the globe.
Country specific data indicates 3,531 users have been targeted in
the United States, 3,332 in
India, and 3,048 in Brazil.
In order to mitigate against the threat of stalkerware, the
Avast team have provided some simple, actionable steps:
Rule #1: Secure your phone against all unauthorised physical
access.
Smartphones are often left unprotected by their users. According
to Pew Research, over a quarter of mobile users have no lock-screen
protection on their smartphones whatsoever, and just over half use
neither thumbprints nor PIN codes to keep their devices private.
This makes it simple for a an abusive partner to secretly install
stalkerware without being noticed. Equally, do not lend your
unlocked phone to anyone unless you fully trust their intentions.It
can take less than a minute to install a stalkerware app on a
device.
Rule #2: Install a good, mainstream antivirus product on your
mobile phone.
A good mobile antivirus will treat stalkerware as a PUP – a
potentially unwanted program – and give you the option to remove
it. A mobile security product such as Avast Mobile Security will
keep your mobile device secure from stalkerware in addition
to other malware and potentially malicious apps. Avast worked
with Google to remove eight of the biggest stalking apps from the
Play Store last year. We are continuing this work as new
developments in stalkerware arise, helping to keep users and
devices one step ahead of the threats.
Rule #3: Look for hotlines and victims' services
providers.
However, if you don't feel safe, trust your instincts. If you
need to source help and support fast – you should not hesitate to
seek it. Organizations such as Operation Safe Escape can
help.
Operation Safe Escape is a victim support organization that
provides valuable support and education for victims of domestic
violence and abuse, and can help with issues of personal, physical
and digital safety. If it's possible your device has been
compromised by stalkerware, avoid using it to contact support. If
you are able, use an anonymous device such as a library computer or
a friend's phone in order to avoid alerting the stalker.
About Avast:
Avast (LSE:AVST) is a global leader in digital security and
privacy products. With over 400 million users online, Avast offers
products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from
threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The
company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in
the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence
technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital
security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and
certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others.
Visit: www.avast.com.
1 Leslie, Emily and Wilson, Riley,
Sheltering in Place and Domestic Violence: Evidence from Calls for
Service during COVID-19 (May 14,
2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3600646
or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3600646
Media Contact:
PR@avast.com
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SOURCE Avast