Anti-viruses are able to better detect harassment software

According to a recent analysis, antivirus programs, whether on Windows Android or even iOS, have significantly improved their detection of software typically used for harassment.

This improvement was observed between November 2019 and May 2020. Detection rates are on the rise and Stalkerwares are gradually being found on Android and Windows.

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After a 7-month research by AV-Comparatives and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in an independent laboratory specializing in antivirus testing. The result was published earlier this week, and covered two phases of studies. The tests focused on ten mobile antivirus applications running under the Android system, and ten others running on Windows. These antivirus solutions have been successful after various tests by detecting strains of some of the most well-known software in digital harassment practices. In all, it was analyzed nearly 10 strains on Windows, and 20 on Android. Software that was chosen by AV-Comparatives and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in their collaboration as they are generally the most popular in the United States.

It was concluded at the time that several companies specializing in the provision of security solutions have decided to improve their harassment software detection system as much as possible since November 2019. For software running android, at the beginning of the tests, the detection rate was around 30 to 95%. At the moment two software programs were struggling to detect more than 50% of test cases as AV-Comparatives means. For Windows solutions, the detection success rate was at 70% for the most efficient. A fairly low rate during the month of November 2019 compared to Android. There were only two security products that could reach the level of mobile applications."Six months later, in May, most products – for both Android and Windows – had improved their detection rates," said the testing lab.

On Android, 9 out of 10 security programs were able to detect almost 75% to 95% during the various tests starting in May. On the other hand, on Windows, an improvement was observed, as all the products tested managed to reach 70% success rate, 4 products even touched 100%.

Looking at all this from a user's point of view, it is clear that such results are encouraging. Indeed this clearly demonstrates the computer security companies have decided to catch up by improving their ability to detect these "malicious" software that have long been considered legitimate tools. Something that's supposed to please harassed people.

For all intents and purposes, Stalkerwares are software to keep an eye on a particular person or person. In truth these are spy programs that are usually covered by family reasons at the same as a professional. Because it is actually used to collect information about a particular smartphone user. It can be his location, his itineraries, the text messages and calls he receives. The apps or social networks he visits. These applications proliferated from year to year because they were covered by reasons that seemed legitimate. It could be a boss who wanted to know where his employees were and when to control their discipline and attendance at work. It could be a husband who wanted to be aware of his wife's actions and daily life, parents who wanted to supervise their children while they went to school or a summer camp. Reasons often humanly understandable but which in the long run have gradually become corrupted. Indeed, these applications have facilitated and accelerated acts of harassment. Making these feelings of oppression more aggressive.

What makes them malware, whatever the reasons given, is that it is usually installed at the end of the main user. Possessing a certain ability to conceal, the target's terminal will be spied on in any way they may notice.

Several organizations defending women's rights or fighting domestic violence have repeatedly decried the legal use of its applications, the time that spouses a little excessive usable to remain in the field of freedoms of their companions. Hence the name given alternative ways to its "spouseware" applications.

But since 2018, several institutions have been encouraging security companies to deploy measures to detect this kind of computer program, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This struggle has finally paid off today many security software publishers have begun to detect them. Some have even formed coalitions to establish a non-profit system to combat these harassment programs. With this recent study, it can be said without batting an eyelid that the fight is safe. And that's more than a requirement because according to a Kaspersky analysis, the use of harassment software has boomed by 49 percent in 2019 compared to 2018.

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