Can SnoopSnitch Actually Protect Your Android Phone From Spies?
Your privacy is important particularly in this highly advanced world we live in. Getting spied on can be so devastating whether or not you’re a celebrity. So, how do you find out if there is such a threat? Good thing there’s a new counter surveillance app for that. SRLabs brings to you SnoopSnitch security app.
How does it work?
It goes without saying that SRLabs stands for Security Research Labs, the makers of this app that analyses and collects mobile radio data to let you know of your mobile network security. It works by sending you alerts on any of the following threats:
- IMSI catchers / hackers (International Mobile Subscriber Identity)
- SS7 Attacks (listen to private calls and text interception)
- User Tracking
What Android Phone Can Run the app?
SnoopSnitch is already available at the Google Play Store but it doesn’t work with all Android units. Currently the app is only compatible with stock Android 4.1 and higher OS. It can only also work with Qualcomm chipsets.
Where to begin?
Running the app suggests that you also needed to root your device. You are suppose to run an active test that can be done with the following:
- Take calls from SRLabs server
- Send SMS to an invalid mobile number
- Make outside calls to a number dedicated to the service
Other considerations
It may only take a few minutes to perform the active test. This will help the app developer enhance their database. No matter how you look at it, coming up with this innovation is a breakthrough. You may not know it but your phone could be leaking some of its data.
Worried more? SRLabs ensures that all data collected and uploaded to their servers will be encrypted to give you privacy. After all, that is what SnoopSnitch is for in the first place.
What we think:
Although SnoopSnitch can alert you if your device is in serious threat, it cannot protect you 100%. This is because it cannot stop whatever threat is going on. It only lets you become aware of what’s happening. Nonetheless, this is a fairly good app to download and to keep you informed. And if you’re thinking if whether only Android phones are prone to threats, you’ve got it wrong. Surveillance attacks happen even to the safest known Operating System. Therefore, it would be great to have a defense tool like this one available to all platforms.
