Screenshot of Android app launcher with spyware app (IMAGE)

University of California - San Diego

Screenshot of Android app launcher with spyware app

Caption

This app launcher on an Androip phone displays app icons: the Spyhuman app installed itself as the innocous-seeming WiFi icon. What are spyware apps? Spyware apps surreptitiously run on a device, most often without the device owner’s awareness. They collect a range of sensitive information such as location, texts and calls, as well as audio and video. Some apps can even stream live audio and video. All this information is delivered to an abuser via an online spyware portal.

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Jacobs School of Engineering/University of California San Diego

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