Stalkerware is a software developed and designed to spy on someone.
In its original intention, the software is meant to monitor on spouses, intimate partners or children. But with its intrusive abilities, the software has also been used to stalk on others, including journalists, high-profile figures and so forth.
This makes the software reside in the gray area between legitimate monitoring programs and a real spyware.
In an attempt to end this kind of 'nuisanceware', a bunch of antivirus software vendors and non-profits have partnered to take on these secretly-installed snooping apps that plague people's devices.
Dubbed the Coalition Against Stalkerware (CAS), it is "uniting advocacy groups, software developers, security firms, and survivors to eliminate abusive technology and software".
The collaborative effort aims to create a centralized location for helping victims of stalkerware, fight domestic violence, stalking, and harassment by addressing the use of stalkerware, as well as raising public awareness about the issue.
Stalkerware abilities include, and not limited to the following:
- Users’ messages.
- Call information.
- Record video and audio.
- Track and record GPS locations.
- Key logging.
- Taking screenshots.
- Monitor internet and social media activities.
Stalkerware can work silently and stealthily, making it literally invisible to the victims. It may not show up in running applications or system processes or utility programs.
With these facts, stalkerware is a powerful surveillance program.
To prevent the spread of stalkerware, CAS intends to define the best practices and improve the security industry’s response to stalkerware by sharing known samples among participating cybersecurity firms.
Previously, EFF cybersecurity chief Eva Galperin called on the antivirus industry to take the threat of stalkerware seriously, even going to the extent of indicting executives of stalkerware-selling companies on hacking charges.
For its part, Kaspersky started flagging Android stalkerware apps as a "privacy alert'. The company also noted that were more than 518,223 instances of stalkerware on users’ devices or detected an attempt to install it during the first eight months of 2019 . This is a 373% increase in the same period in 2018.
Initially, there are 10 organizations that are part of CAS: Avira, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), G DATA Cyber Defense, Kaspersky, Malwarebytes, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, NortonLifeLock, Operation Safe Escape, WEISSER RING, and European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
By working together, the companies and the non-profits are increasing their efforts to combat this growing threats.
Google has also partnered with ESET, Lookout, and Zimperium to create 'App Defense Alliance', with the aim to improve its abilities in identifying shady third-party apps on Android before they end up on users’ devices.
According to Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, head of anti-malware research at Kaspersky:
"The IT security industry gives its input by improving detection of stalkerware and better notifying users of this threat to their privacy. Meanwhile service and advocacy organisations directly work with victims of domestic violence, know their pain points and requests, and can guide our work."