Most cybersecurity discussions focus on big, external threats: ransomware, phishing, and nation-state attackers. But there’s a quieter, more personal form of digital abuse that deserves attention: stalkerware.

Stalkerware isn’t about stealing data for profit. It’s about spying on someone’s life, often a partner, ex, or family member, without their knowledge or consent. And it’s still alarmingly easy to get, install, and miss.

This blog is a closer look at what stalkerware is, how it works, and why it should matter to anyone working in cyber today.

What Exactly Is Stalkerware?

Stalkerware is software that allows one person to secretly monitor another person’s device activity. It’s typically installed on smartphones and can:

• Track real-time location
• Read texts, WhatsApp messages, and emails
• Record phone calls and ambient audio
• Access photos and browser history
• Control the camera or microphone

Unlike commercial spyware used for surveillance or espionage, stalkerware is personal. It’s often marketed as “parental control” or “employee monitoring” software, but is misused to monitor partners or family members in abusive relationships.

And it’s growing.

The Reality, by the Numbers

• Over 31,000 devices globally were found with stalkerware in 2023, according to Kaspersky, but real numbers are likely far higher due to stealth operation.
• In Germany, more than 1,000 devices were infected with stalkerware in one year, most linked to domestic abuse.
• A Norton study found 1 in 10 UK adults admitted to installing tracking apps on a partner’s phone without their consent.
• The National Network to End Domestic Violence reports that 85% of U.S. domestic abuse shelters see cases involving tech-based surveillance.

Why It Matters in Cybersecurity

Stalkerware might not make headlines like a breach or zero-day, but it’s still a major security issue:

• It bypasses consent, the foundation of privacy and ethical tech.
• It creates digital vulnerabilities that can be exploited beyond the intended “target.”
• It’s often invisible to users and hard to detect with standard antivirus tools.
• In BYOD environments, personal phone compromise = corporate data risk.

If a personal device with stalkerware connects to company email, cloud storage, or messaging apps, that surveillance now includes business comms. That’s a real exposure.

How Stalkerware Hides

• Uses generic names or blank icons to avoid detection
• Requests excessive permissions (GPS, mic, SMS, etc.) during install
• Disables security warnings or hides in system settings
• Sends data via encrypted channels to third-party servers
• Evades AV detection by operating in a legal grey zone

Vendors like Malwarebytes, Kaspersky, and Certo have started flagging stalkerware specifically, but many AV engines still don’t categorise it as malware.

Legal But Not Lawful

While most stalkerware usage violates national privacy and surveillance laws (like Germany’s Strafgesetzbuch §§ 202a–c), enforcement is difficult:

• Many apps are hosted outside EU jurisdiction
• They’re marketed as “monitoring software,” not spyware
• Victims rarely know it’s there, so they don’t report it

In 2022, Google and Apple removed dozens of stalkerware apps from their platforms, but many simply rebranded or moved to sideloading and APK markets.

What Cybersecurity Teams Should Do

Even if you’re not in law enforcement or victim support, here’s why this matters for your team:

• Threat modelling should include domestic or interpersonal abuse vectors, especially for at-risk employees.
• Mobile device management (MDM) policies need to define what’s allowed on BYOD endpoints.
• User education should cover digital safety beyond phishing and passwords.
• Incident response teams should understand how to recognise potential stalkerware symptoms.

Final Word

Stalkerware doesn’t just steal data, it steals agency. It’s surveillance that turns phones into tools of control, manipulation, and harm. And while it’s often dismissed as a “personal issue,” it’s also a digital safety issue and therefore, a cybersecurity issue.

If you’re in a position to educate, secure, or influence policy, this matters.