S2 Grupo warns that the profileration of spyware is one of the main cyber risks in the use of smartphones

• According to a study carried out on its Hijosdigitales.es blog, 47% of users fear that their phone will be intervened by third parties.
• The team of experts of the company has made a decalogue with tips to preserve privacy in the use of your mobile phone and avoid being victims of espionage.
• S2 Grupo emphasizes that spying on someone else's phone is a crime against their privacy that it is punishable by 1 to 4 years in prison.

Valencia, June 9, 2017.- If cyberspace is common among States, companies and large companies, so is it among people. In fact, according to a study carried out by Hijosdigitales.es, a blog by the cybersecurity company S2 Grupo, 47% of users fear that their mobile phone could be hacked or intervened by another person. Company experts have warned that the most common way to spy on a person's mobile is through the installation of so-called "spyware" applications created specifically for this. This type of apps allow you to know all conversations that are maintained by Whatsapp, in social networks, can intervene the microphone, know the geolocation of the person and even remotely activate the camera to see what happens around the phone in every moment. This implies a high risk for the privacy and security of the affected user. "Although it is illegal to use spyware applications, it is true that there are more and more. This is due to a lack of real awareness in people about the importance of security in the use of new technologies and, at the same time, of the crimes that can be incurred if malpractice is done. Spying someone else's Smartphone is a crime against their privacy and spying is punished with one to four years in prison", said José Rosell, associate-director of S2 Grupo. The cybersecurity company advices that to preserve people’s privacy in the use of Smartphones and avoid being victims of this type of actions, it is recommended to:

1. - Install an "anti-spyware" application .- these types of apps will allow to detect if any type of spyware was installed on the mobile phone.
2. - Restore to factory settings.- From S2 Grupo it has been pointed out that if an analysis with several anti-spyware applications is performed and all give negative, it is very likely that the smartphone is not infected. In any case, if you continue to have suspicions that it may have been intervened, you can opt for the option offered by the phone to restore to factory settings. This will remove any software that does not come from the source. It is important to perform a backup because photos, music, downloads, etc. will be deleted.
3. - Do not "lend" the phone.- Spy applications are installed in a few seconds and without realizing it could have intervened our phone.
4. - Check periodically the security of the device.- For this purpose specialized tools like antivirus should be used.
5. - Avoid installing applications of unknown origin.- It is essential to use only apps from official markets as these have been supervised by their distributors and provide greater guarantee. In addition, it is interesting to activate in the mobile the option that rejects the installation of applications of unknown origin.
6. - Avoid the use of open Wi-Fi networks.- While we are using them, anyone who connects to the same network as us will be able to know the operations we are doing and even access our files.
7. - Plane mode.- In an extreme situation where a person may have clear suspicion that his telephone may have been intervened, the phone can be put on "airplane mode". In this way, the device stops emitting any type of signal and will prevent, for example, that its location is known.
8. - Notify the police.- If a person detects that their mobile phone has been tampered with and is a victim of espionage, it is advisable to report it to the police to carry out an investigation and locate the perpetrator.

"It is very important that the victims of this type of cybercrime report to the relevant authorities to defend their rights and that actions that can seriously attack people’s privacy and even put them in danger", said Miguel A. Juan, associate-director of S2 Grupo. More information: prensa@s2grupo.es