You may never have asked yourself, but the truth is that … Why do you think that many computer scientists, whether they are friends or those you see on TV, cover up their computer’s webcam ? Several cases have already been demonstrated in which the audio and video devices of our computers have been used by cybercriminals to spy through a camera without anyone noticing. Several cases have long come to light, demonstrating how dangerous this practice is.
Taking into account that our smartphones have a multitude of cameras… Can the same thing happen? With the expansion of mobile phones, this concern has moved from the computer market to the telephony market, so let’s not forget that this type of device is nothing more than a computer the size of the palm of your hand. Therefore, it is normal that this concern has become general among users who have a terminal in their hands.
Can they spy on us?
In addition, the experts do not reassure us, since the answer that many security researchers give us is the following: ‘ If a certain computer has a built-in lens, it is possible that someone – be it the government of a nation or a teenager from 19 years old with enough knowledge – can access it to spy on the user at any time ‘.
The worst of all is that, today, there are even different programs with malware specifically designed to hack the camera of a mobile device without our being aware of it. That is, a ‘hacker’ could access the smartphone and use the lens of the phone to spy on everyone on the other side of the panel. This is double bad news since, on the one hand, it is confirmed that almost anyone could access to see us through the device’s sensor and, on the other hand, that the technical capacity necessary to enter a victim’s terminal and use its components to know what we do has been drastically reduced.
Fortunately, not everyone has access to these tools, but it is true that there are more and more software products that can take photos, record videos or audio with the phone’s camera (either with the front or rear, or both. at the same time).
Spyware , used by hackers, such as FlexiSPY is capable of recording a video without the victim knowing anything. The video can then be uploaded directly to an online database and they can even broadcast our phone signal live and direct.
Check if they do
The real danger, in addition to being quite difficult, will be to know if they are looking at you through the mobile camera but, fortunately, as the methods to intrude on our private lives grow, solutions by app developers and grades increase. companies.
The different methods used to hack and install malware or spyware that can control the phone’s camera or microphone are not easily detected but generally come in through a file download from an unknown location. Have you downloaded an app of dubious origin and you start to have doubts?
Unfortunately, antivirus for Android are not entirely reliable to detect these intrusions but if your smartphone starts to behave strangely, it is likely that they are spying on you in one way or another.
For example, if the battery gets too hot without you doing anything and it wears out abnormally it can be a key to detecting potential malicious apps. Similarly, high mobile data consumption may mean that someone is sending files from your smartphone to a server.
Use this tool
Apple introduced a new security function starting with iOS 14, as Google did since Android 12, which is capable of revealing if the sensor is spying on you , showing an indicator if a certain app is using it.
Access Dots, for example, is an Android application that allows you, precisely, the same thing, to know if someone accesses it and the microphone without your knowledge. This shows a green dot at the top of the phone that indicates that some tool uses the camera and turns orange if the microphone is used. To this we add the possibility of accessing an access log that shows when the sensor was last accessed, what software did it and how long the access lasted.
Access Dots itself does not request access to the camera or microphone, it is free to download and will be visible even on the lock screen. It is compatible with mobiles from Android 7.0. In addition, you can access the Access Log from the main settings screen of the application.
Check the permissions
On the latest Android phones, you can check which software has access to the microphone and camera in settings> applications> permissions. If your device has been hacked or malware has been installed that may be spying on you, you can locate it here.
There are photo tools, or social networks that obviously need to access the component. But does it make sense for a flashlight app to require access to the lens? And a music player? Obviously not.
How to avoid it?
There are different ways to prevent someone from spying on us through the mobile phone or through the camera of the phones. But, if we do not know how to achieve it on your own, you will only have to follow these series of steps so that no one else can gossip about what you do through the sensor of your smartphone.
Use Google Play Protect
Android is an open platform that has Google Play Protect among its main tools, in charge of analyzing all the apps that we download from the store. But being open, it implies that we can install applications from other sources than the Play Store, as long as we allow it from the security settings.
Installing software of unknown origin is the main entry point for these spyware, so we always recommend not downloading anything from outside the Play Store unless you do so with full knowledge and under your responsibility.
Basic tips
However, the fact that we avoid installing this type of external software will not be the only way in which they can infect our device. Whenever you can, you will want to avoid doing the following:
- Don’t root without knowledge.
- Make sure to apply all app and system updates.
- Although they are not 100% reliable, you should install an antivirus on your computer to help you protect yourself.
- Be careful with the applications you download and the permissions you grant them, even when they come from the Google Play store.
- Be wary of links and attachments that arrive through email, SMS and other channels, with instant messaging apps.
If even so, you still have the fear that your mobile may contain some software that implies that they use the camera to spy on you, you can always return the terminal to its factory state, eliminating any possible malicious app.
To do this, you must go to Settings> System> Reset options> Delete all data. However, do not forget to make a backup, as this process deletes photos, apps, videos, files and all kinds of elements that are present in the memory of the smartphone.
Cover the camera
Surely, you have spent hours trying to find a software that meets your expectations. Although, surely you have not stopped to think that you may have a more basic tool at your fingertips than a program for your terminal. And there are different covers for your device that have a simple mechanism whose purpose is to hide the camera sensors. This way, you can slide the lid off when you intend to take a photo.
However, if your fear is the selfie sensor, calm down, because we can also count on a ‘miraculous’ accessory that will help us. Although, we already warn you that it will be somewhat uncomfortable in many situations.
With these two accessories, we will be able to keep hackers who want to spy through the various lenses that every device includes at bay. And not only this, but, for example, the type of cases that we have mentioned, will also serve to protect your phones due to the great resistance that they have due to the materials with which these cases have been manufactured.