So you have yourself a shiny Apple (product). And though there are many Android users who would have you believing that you compromised, that you are restricted, that you have no real control of your device, and that you missed out on some sort of amazing mobile experience, you could always breathe easy knowing that you are not plagued with all the spyware, malware, viruses, bugs, and key logger apps that Android users are seemingly always complaining of.
Apple’s Growing Security Needs
So Apple’s strict policy on reviewing certain apps and barring other apps onto their device has actually proved a safe haven for safety buffs. But that doesn’t mean that iOS devices are completely secure from privacy and security leaks. The last two years have proven that much (see the Location gate issue and Path privacy issues raised earlier this year).
So of course, what it means is not that just because you have an Apple and you have been a devoted follower by staying back from getting your device jailbroken, someone can’t keep an eye on your device and compromise your privacy. It still holds that there are other ways that your device can be remotely accessed and the information on it tapped into without you ever being the wiser.
If you still aren’t sure what’s being talked about then you need to recall or read up on what’s new in the spyware market. For instance, now hackers have apps which seem completely harmless and have no noticeable spy feature in them slip into your device under the disguise of being a gaming or utility app. These malicious apps then use features of your phone to extract information such as the SIRI feature and then pass it on to unknown parties, fulfilling the role of iPhone spyware.
A Clue for iPhone Users
Bit Defender has come up with a solution for this. Since most of these apps don’t get detected or come up on anti-spyware radar due to their protective guises, ‘Clueful’, their latest offering to the tech world now becomes your security watchdog by assessing and reporting back to you what information all the apps on your iPhone are accessing.
It delivers a full report which is easy for anyone to read and understand; no need to be a security sleuth in order to figure out what’s going on in your phone. This way you can have complete knowledge of all the location tracking, address book and contact access, usage tracking, etc that your phone may be a victim of, which essentially means you may be a victim of. Just like everything for iOS, Clueful practically spells everything out for you so you don’t have to go to great lengths to figure out what’s happening. The technology is pretty good too, since Clueful syncs to the ‘Clueful cloud’ which maintains a database containing information on over 10,000 apps and growing.
User Needs
Of course, this security tool is really only a utility. It cannot detect malware and remove it like an anti-malware app nor can it quarantine your system. It can however alert you to the stealth modes which seemingly harmless apps adopt in order to retrieve important and personal information about you through your iOS device. If this is something you feel you need a handle over, then there’s really no reason you shouldn’t spend four bucks to get the app.
Natalia is a blogger by profession; an author significantly contributing towards Technology and Gadget news, iPhone spy software, cell phone monitoring and keylogger. She provides tips and tricks about cell phone and computer security. If you want to know more about her you can follow her on twitter @NataliaDavid4