The cyber world is a weird world and cell phones have added a new dimension to it. You can’t judge your friends and enemies in this virtual world. The proliferation of mobile devices in our lives have handed new life to the spies and hackers to Hacking target handsets and covertly gain information.
Hackers and spies are sophisticated threat actors in the cyber world that target smartphones as these devices have become ever-present in our personal and professional lives.
But why target the smartphones? It’s easy! Because of the communication and data-access features and the trust that the users put in their devices makes them a popular choice for hackers and spies. And the prevalence of these devices means that these forces will continue targeting them.
Currently, due to the larger market share, Android is the most vulnerable platform for hacking apps for Android and spyware apps Android. Although Android has tried to refine its system, the security flaws make an Android smartphone vulnerable. Here we explain how hacker and spyware try to exploit these vulnerabilities in Android.
Hacking
Hacking and spying may seem similar, but they are different in many aspects. Hackers use malware to eavesdrop and grab data. It is a fact that hackers develop an Android malware every 17 seconds. Every day there are many new forms of sophisticated malware developed to spy on Android users.
Hackers attack and target data of anyone who uses an Android phone or a computer. It can be anyone from agencies to a wealthy opulent. Hackers would usually target someone they know and their intention is always to misuse the hacked devices.
You may know by now why FBI is investigating the US presidential election due to Russian hackers’ involvement in it. This is a recent example of misuse by the hackers on the state level. Even someone as powerful as the US is not able to avert all the hacking attacks on its systems.
The hacker’s activities are illegal as they misuse the financial data and personal information of the people. They can steal money using the credit card information. So hacking activities are illegal. Slingshot is one example of hacking apps for Android used by the hackers to spy across the Middle East and Africa.
Another example of a hacking attack is the Chrysoar, the Android version of the Pegasus threat. This malware has targeted about three-dozen specific individuals and uses a Frameroot technique to breach into the Android system.
So it is almost impossible to avert a hacking attack. No nation or cell phone is resilient enough to avoid it. It is not only Android, but even iOS has also been attacked and data of popular celebrities were hacked.
Hacker uses Trojans and even viruses to get access to the Android phones but they leave their traces and are easy to identify. The target phone may slow down or suspicious dialogue boxes may appear.
Also Read: A Complete Penetration Testing & Hack Tools List for Hackers & Security Professionals
Spying
Spying is different from hacking when the two are juxtaposed. Spying applications are being used by parents and employers. Spying software like Xnspy is being used by the parents for the safety of their children and in monitoring the employees and their performance-related factors.
As far as the effectiveness of the two is concerned, the spyware is effective but not destructive in use. They are powerful, even if the Android has strong encryption abilities and data protection features, the spyware available in the market are powerful enough to work on these smartphones.
Xnspy spyware app Android perform functions like capturing location information, live location monitoring, allowing the user to capture images and video files. You can also monitor and extract data from apps including texts, emails, WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, and can gain access to the contacts.
If this is not enough then the spyware can give you information about the internet related information. The user can filtrate the browsing history and can see all the websites viewed by the target person. So, a spyware app for Android is as invasive as hacking apps for Android and perform similar spying functions.
Spyware apps have no virus related dangers like Pegasus and Chrysoar and they are legal in the US and other countries following the set laws. So their legal use is not going to lead you behind the bars. In fact, it can help you give a stable and secure family life and enhanced workplace productivity.
But unlike the hacking apps, the spyware apps do not self-destruct. Pegasus for Android will remove itself from the phone of the compromised target. But the spyware is not detectable and are usually installed under the unrecognized name. Xnspy is under 6MBs in size and does not slow down the phone so it cannot be detected easily like hacking apps.
