Emergency Cybersecurity for those at risk of Domestic Violence
Emergency Cybersecurity for those at risk of Domestic Violence
If you think your devices or accounts have been compromised or are about to be compromised, there are a range of things you can do. I have broken this article down by threat type, and provided the fastest way to solve the problem for each one.
Please note:
- Some of these actions will make a mess of your devices and accounts. Nothing you can't fix up later, though.
- For some of the actions, I have created and linked to separate pages. Otherwise, this document will be really long.
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of devices, apps and services that people could be using. It is impossible to cover them all. To make it worse, updates often change the default settings or the locations to make changes, so my instruction could be out of date.
If you can't find a solution here, or with a quick Google search, and it's an emergency, then:
Tracking software
Android/Apple Devices
There are three kinds of tracking software that can be used on devices such as Mobiles and Tablets:
Legitimate location sharing services:
These are services provided by reputable companies such as Google or Apple and are meant to help you share your location with trusted people or find your device if it's lost.
Official information on Apple and Google services can be found here:
If you have shared your location and want it removed, or suspect someone is using these services against you, then you need to disable them. Go to those links and turn off any sharing that is in place.
App store software that tracks you
There are a lot of apps on the Apple or Android stores that meets the guidlines, but can still be used to track you. They are typically listed as parenting apps or find my device apps.
While most can be easy to spot, some are deliverately designed to be difficult to identify and remove. If you have concerns about this kind of software, simeply factory reset your phone. This will remove any apps and reinstall a clean device.
When reseting your device, you will likely be asked if you want to copy over any data/settings or apps. Always choose no.
Hacking software
There are apps designed with the deliberate intent to secretly track your location. Some are made by criminals others my governments. This kind of software can be installed without leaving any trace.
Malware on devices is a consideration, but the chance of someone tracking you with it are very rare. The software is not easily obtained, and difficult to install, even if someone has your device. It is next to impossible to do remotely.
If you genuinely believe that someone has installed malware on your phone to track you, the only option is to throw the phone away. This is because in some very rare cases, this software can survive a factory reset.
I want to stress again, this software is very rare. Often it can only run on specific models of phone or version of Android/iOS. Dont throw away expensive devices unless you are very sure it could be infected.
Laptops
There is no practical way to remove tracking software from a laptop in a hurry. There are too many ways someone could have installed something and many of them are incredibly difficult to detect.
If you suspect your laptop is being used to track you, then:
- Power it off and remove the battery if possible.
- Later on when you have time, format the hard drive and reinstal the Windows/MacOS
Tracking Devices
There are a range of devices that can be used to track you. These include:
- Smart Watches
- Smart Glasses
- Smart Home Devices
- Smart Car Devices