Related
Has anyone heard of this - https://www.mobiledefense.com/ ? It's so if your phone is lost/stolen you can get on the computer and see where it is. You can also do other things like lock it remotely. However it doesn't seem like you can activate the GPS remotely, so it's not that useful because you'd have to keep GPS turned on all the time, which drains the battery too much. Has anyone used this, is there a way to activate GPS remotely that I'm missing? Or is there another app that can activate it remotely?
I've been using this app for over a year. It works great and you can activate the GPS remotely. It does this by sending a txt message to the phone that allows you to control the program on the phone via the web interface.
Correction, GPS is not always active, it only becomes active once the application is activated, meaning you are not emitting a GPS signal at all times, only when you start to track it does it do that so it does not take up battery.
So far, you can make Mobile Defense a system application by moving it into the system memory as a system application. This will prevent uninstall and, if not already the feature to remotely activate the GPS after its been disabled.
SolemnWishing said:
So far, you can make Mobile Defense a system application by moving it into the system memory as a system application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you do that?
And you're right about the GPS not constantly being activated, I tried it out, it's pretty nice.
I had Mobile Defense, then i switched to Wave Secure. MUCH better. Its still there even tho you wipe the phone, and backs up your contacts, messages, and pictures, all ONLINE for free. Can't beat that!
mautai916 said:
I had Mobile Defense, then i switched to Wave Secure. MUCH better. Its still there even tho you wipe the phone, and backs up your contacts, messages, and pictures, all ONLINE for free. Can't beat that!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into this. I'm die hard mobile defense, but i wipe so damn much i don't have it half the time.
Mobile Defense vs Wave Secure
I can't seem to find a way to get WaveSecure to kick on my GPS. Device tracking is pretty much useless and hasn't been able to lock onto my location all day.
Although it is super sweet for backing up almost everything on your Android phone. Which is something I don't believe MobileDefense does.
I still like MobileDefense for tracking my phone because it has the ability to turn on GPS remotely via a SMS. Don't forget you can active a car alarm sound remotely as well.
I can't wait to get a Dell Mini 5 and hope one of these companies add anti-theft device lock with auto snap shots with E-Mail back up!
Hello guys, I saw some apps for android like, comodo anti theft, avast anti theft, eset anti theft, and so on, for locating the phone.
Which one do you recommend or think that is the best?
I have gived a try to avast and comodo, but I saw that if the phone is in the house I can not locate it from the laptop browser / avast web-interface,
as it needs to enable the GPS reciver and gps can not be started automatically or even if it is started it will not "see" the gps sattelites because of the roof. And with comodo I saw no web-interface, only sms texting, and I have only one phone, no secondary phone handy for finding it easy.
I wish to be able do do two simple things by controlling it over internet using a laptop (wify or carrier data 3G/EDGE/GPRS)
1) If I forgot where is my phone in house and I have no other phone, to be able to make the phone to sound an alarm for finding it more easy, it happens often to forget where my phone is in the house
2) Locate the approximate location of the phone by using GSM towers, and NOT the GPS (in case that will be stolen, or I forget where I left the phone, in car / at work / at house etc.)
Hello, well to help you out I use Kaspersky Mobile Security, it has alot of features, you can lock the phone via sms messages, take mug shots, wipe the phone and locate it too, you can look for it in the play store, its a paid app but I think its worth it, I would look into it if I were you and consider it as a viable option. Hope this helps.
You can locate your Android Device with Googles Device Manager and has a features to lock the phone and ring.. Also I believe there is APPs to track your device with GSM towers.
https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thx!
I have enabled in settings > Location services > Access my location and google location service, now I can find my location without using gps, avast anti theft works pretty well, I also found an interesting app on google play named Secret Control but it has some ads.
isabellamiller477 said:
Hello guys, I saw some apps for android like, comodo anti theft, avast anti theft, eset anti theft, and so on, for locating the phone.
Which one do you recommend or think that is the best?
I have gived a try to avast and comodo, but I saw that if the phone is in the house I can not locate it from the laptop browser / avast web-interface,
as it needs to enable the GPS reciver and gps can not be started automatically or even if it is started it will not "see" the gps sattelites because of the roof. And with comodo I saw no web-interface, only sms texting, and I have only one phone, no secondary phone handy for finding it easy.
I wish to be able do do two simple things by controlling it over internet using a laptop (wify or carrier data 3G/EDGE/GPRS)
1) If I forgot where is my phone in house and I have no other phone, to be able to make the phone to sound an alarm for finding it more easy, it happens often to forget where my phone is in the house
2) Locate the approximate location of the phone by using GSM towers, and NOT the GPS (in case that will be stolen, or I forget where I left the phone, in car / at work / at house etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kidkree1 said:
Hello, well to help you out I use Kaspersky Mobile Security, it has alot of features, you can lock the phone via sms messages, take mug shots, wipe the phone and locate it too, you can look for it in the play store, its a paid app but I think its worth it, I would look into it if I were you and consider it as a viable option. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allen` said:
You can locate your Android Device with Googles Device Manager and has a features to lock the phone and ring.. Also I believe there is APPs to track your device with GSM towers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! I thought we need gps in order to locate our location. This is great
I have concerns related to the security of S4 as a hotspot. While using the device as a hotspot it
became extremely hot, and started to malfunction. I could see that no one other than myself was
connected to the hotspot. Other unusual activity was observed as well, and the carrier has taken
extreme & unusual steps to prevent me from discussing it with their employees.
When using an S4 with (selinux enforcing) as a hotspot, is there any risk that a malicious webserver operator
can somehow access the device using the carrier assigned (dynamic) ip address?
What type of protections (on the wan side) should be in place to properly secure an S4 with 4.3 for use as a hotspot
so the device itself can't be compromised? (assuming no 3rd party apps are installed) I assume device encryption would
not help this situation because the device has to be decrypted to run the hotspot. It's unclear samasung knox 1.0 could
provide anything useful, and I think they force packets through lookout so it slows the connection.
greens1240 said:
I have concerns related to the security of S4 as a hotspot. While using the device as a hotspot it
became extremely hot, and started to malfunction. I could see that no one other than myself was
connected to the hotspot. Other unusual activity was observed as well, and the carrier has taken
extreme & unusual steps to prevent me from discussing it with their employees.
When using an S4 with (selinux enforcing) as a hotspot, is there any risk that a malicious webserver operator
can somehow access the device using the carrier assigned (dynamic) ip address?
What type of protections (on the wan side) should be in place to properly secure an S4 with 4.3 for use as a hotspot
so the device itself can't be compromised? (assuming no 3rd party apps are installed) I assume device encryption would
not help this situation because the device has to be decrypted to run the hotspot. It's unclear samasung knox 1.0 could
provide anything useful, and I think they force packets through lookout so it slows the connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bump
greens1240 said:
Other unusual activity was observed as well, and the carrier has taken
extreme & unusual steps to prevent me from discussing it with their employees.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would you elaborate on that?
keen36 said:
would you elaborate on that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are actually 2 separate issues even though the carrier's actions may seem unusual.
I don't see https in the url for this site, and when I try to force https it redirects to remove the ssl,
so privacy didn't matter here?
Some of the unusual activity involved messages about "sim data" refresh/change when no 3rd party
apps were ever installed, the phone wasn't rooted, and updates turned off. Apps that were turned off
showed subsequent network activity. After a factory reset, disabling some apps and changing other
settings, the main issue was the phone getting extremely hot when using the hotspot to test a vpn
service (vpn settings config on pc not on android).
If your phone number ends up on that "list" you should expect management to take an approach with you
as if litigation is underway. Expect very little cooperation, leave 15 messages over a 30 day
period with 5 different corporate managers to finally get a return call from yet a different manager who
finally admits they have ways to prevent your phone from getting through to support or customer service.
They must have thought none of their customers would figure out that advanced call rejection features
can do all kinds of things, such as put select callers on hold indefinitely, forward the call to a number that
rings but never answers, have the caller hear fast busy signals, have the caller hear a message that no
one is available to take their call, etc, etc. A word to anyone with a cell phone - If you can't get through
using 611 or the carrier's toll free numbers, try calling from a different phone, and if you get through
with the different phone, then you know.
xda admins probably thought that encryption is not overly important, this being a public forum and all... i would also prefer ssl everywhere, but it does add a layer of complexity and also increases demand on the server, so i can see why it is not implemented here.
what do you mean with
Code:
"sim data" refresh/change
? what do you mean when you say you have apps "turned off"?
i can easily see you getting blocked if you annoy any support-hotline too much. i do not see something especially suspicious about that.
if i may be honest: you appear to be a little paranoid.
keen36 said:
xda admins probably thought that encryption is not overly important, this being a public forum and all... i would also prefer ssl everywhere, but it does add a layer of complexity and also increases demand on the server, so i can see why it is not implemented here.
what do you mean with
Code:
"sim data" refresh/change
? what do you mean when you say you have apps "turned off"?
i can easily see you getting blocked if you annoy any support-hotline too much. i do not see something especially suspicious about that.
if i may be honest: you appear to be a little paranoid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As network packets travel over the Internet, anyone with physical access to a network device (within the packet route) can view your activity without your knowledge. There are redirection protocols used by thousands of businesses and ISPs to divert port 80 traffic to web caches, internet filtering appliances, and data mining "honeypots". Not sure if still true today that network router and Layer 3 switches manufactured by Cisco ship with a redirection protocol (WCCP) that can be used to re-reroute HTTP traffic through an external filtering or a logging device. Most would agree when it comes to discussions about network security- exchanging plain text email, and requesting advice on plain text message boards is not the best practice.
"refreshing sim data" was a message I observed after the s4 was rebooted. It seemed odd that the message appeared when there was no update or installations. But I'm not an expert on the device, for all I know it might be normal to see the message when there's no activity. As far as turning off apps, it's normal to turn off apps that use resources, drain battery, etc. if you don't need them. Turning off, not deleting, and changing permissions doesn't appear to be an option on 4.3 without a 3rd party app.
As far as sounding paranoid, there's a lot more to the story that I didn't go into involving what looks like attempted identity/phone theft by the carrier's own employee(s) or reseller(s). The way the situation was handled it genuinely looked like a cover up, and still does.
There is still the issue of securing a hotspot which no one from any tier 2 support centers has been able to answer. Not sure if a droidwall or other firewall would be doing anything beneficial since I assume any port scanning would be of the device connected to the hotspot rather than the s4 itself.
yes, anyone along the route can intercept the packets and even read them if they aren't encrypted. yes, there exist man-in-the-middle attacks. yes, most would agree that when exchanging security related information, it would be best to encrypt. that doesn't change what i said: this board is not security oriented, it is a public, developer oriented board. encryption is not very important here, so the admins must have thought that the benefits of not encrypting outwheigh the risk. if you really have sensitive security-related questions, this is not the right place to ask them, i fear.
what do you do exactly when you "turn off" an app? step-by-step?
have you tried googling what "refreshing sim data" does and why it is happening? it looks harmless to me!
last thing, to get this clear: you think that someone hacked your hotspot because the phone gets hot and unstable when you use it? no, wait, you have about a thousand small other things that also point to that explanation, right? this sounds like a case of unfounded paranoia to me. i have some experience with paranoid schizophrenics, and while i am not (!) calling you that, i have to advise you that the way you argue reminds me of them.
you are looking for suspicious things and you do not understand enough about these phones (they are ridiculously complex, so that is quite normal i might add) to see whether something is suspicious or not.
keen36 said:
yes, anyone along the route can intercept the packets and even read them if they aren't encrypted. yes, there exist man-in-the-middle attacks. yes, most would agree that when exchanging security related information, it would be best to encrypt. that doesn't change what i said: this board is not security oriented, it is a public, developer oriented board. encryption is not very important here, so the admins must have thought that the benefits of not encrypting outwheigh the risk. if you really have sensitive security-related questions, this is not the right place to ask them, i fear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know a better place to ask advanced security related questions about Samsung/Android? Google and Samsung tech support are unable to answer many basic security questions. Anything advanced is a foreign language to them.Ask 1000 Samsung employees "What is Knox?" and 999 will answer "Never heard of it." Most don't care about security, and never will unless and until they become a victim, and have a substantial loss.
keen36 said:
what do you do exactly when you "turn off" an app? step-by-step?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used app manager. I'f you're familiar with S4 running 4.3 then you're familiar with app manager.
keen36 said:
have you tried googling what "refreshing sim data" does and why it is happening? it looks harmless to me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This message may be related to updating network tower(s) info which I agree, by itself would be harmless.
keen36 said:
last thing, to get this clear: you think that someone hacked your hotspot because the phone gets hot and unstable when you use it? no, wait, you have about a thousand small other things that also point to that explanation, right? this sounds like a case of unfounded paranoia to me. i have some experience with paranoid schizophrenics, and while i am not (!) calling you that, i have to advise you that the way you argue reminds me of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's constant network inbound/outbound activity while the device is idle according to the indicator. The activity could be perfectly benign. Many native apps communicate with the network, but it is also possible to turn off (restrict) background activity to limit which apps have network access. I wouldn't know what it is without running a program such as wireshark. A paranoid schizophrenic might think an app that had permission to access the microphone, recorded audio in the room, then encrypted & uploaded it to a server for later retrieval. That could never happen in the real world right?
I'm merely asking questions about various events which may or may not be signs that there's a problem, but I've not concluded anything. More importantly I'm hoping to find information on how to properly secure a hotspot. You've not offered any information about this so I assume you feel no hardening, modifications, or additions are necessary, and in using default settings the device is impenetrable.
keen36 said:
you are looking for suspicious things and you do not understand enough about these phones (they are ridiculously complex, so that is quite normal i might add) to see whether something is suspicious or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, they are complex. Tech support is of no use, they simply are not trained to respond to a question such as "Is there a firewall running on the device?" "Is code checked for malware by human eyes before an app is put on playstore, or simply trust unknown authors and feedback?"
no, i am sorry, i do not know about any android security related web communities.
i use a sony phone on kitkat, so no, i have no idea what you mean with "app manager". i just want to know what that program did; did it uninstall the apps, did it disable them, did it freeze (rename) them? i have never heard of an app being "turned off", that's why i ask.
what you describe with the microphone listening and uploading what it records to the internet, that is happening every time you open google voice search or -if you use the google now launcher- everytime you go to the homescreen
i do not know how you got the idea that i think that your device is impenetrable ([email protected] sentence btw. )? that is a ridiculous thought, i would never say such a thing. in fact, i am of the conviction that no absolute security can exist on a device which is connected to the internet. there is a reason why some security-related programs are built on machines with no internet access at all.
if you know how to use wireshark, why don't you just use it? if i had to take an uneducated guess, i would think that you would then realise that the network activity you see is benign (not malicious i mean, you might very well discover some nice datamining activity by google etc. ).
i do not know your usecase, if you are living in a country which has an oppressive regime, if you are a general target for hackers somehow (public figure / working at a security-related position etc.), then yes, it might make sense to look at your phones security in detail. if that is not the case, however, then no, i do not think that additional hardening of your hotspot is needed...
I try to tweak the phone to save as much battery as it can, but I still want to be able to use the Lost Phone functionality. What settings do you suggest?
For now I'm using these settings:
- Allow WIFI to sleep when in sleepmode
- Allow WIFI to scan even if WIFI is turned off
- No GPS
- Location is on battery save mode
- Don't allow mobile data connection when screen is of (using Llama)
Now im using the default Google find my phone website. For the theftie I installed Lockwatch (it will take a pic after a few tries of entering the wrong code). But you need a data connection / wifi for the app to sent the mail? So how to circumvent this if wifi and data is off after the phone goes to sleep??
I don't have Lockwatch. But it looks like a really nice simple app. From what I can read in the product description it implies that Lockwatch turns on the required features by itself GPS, WiFi, etc. Have you tried "stealing" your own phone with your power saving settings activated? The other thing not mentioned in the product description is does the app continue to send periodic emails to update the phones location after it has been stolen and is moving? Maybe you know? I am using Lookout which can be interrogated at any time to located the phone. But it is not a lightweight app, which makes Lockwatch all the more interesting. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I can't answer your question, but maybe someone else can, plus my question!
I monitored the battery life of my Moto G LTE for a while and I can say that in standby doesn't drain battery, even if gps and mobile networks are active (I tried using Runtastic while riding racing bike for about 15km: 1h of gps and mobile network consumed about 10-15%).
Remember that, even if you turn on location, doesn't mean that phone searches costantly gps signal, it searches for it only when apps request for it.
grahamgo said:
I don't have Lockwatch. But it looks like a really nice simple app. From what I can read in the product description it implies that Lockwatch turns on the required features by itself GPS, WiFi, etc. Have you tried "stealing" your own phone with your power saving settings activated? The other thing not mentioned in the product description is does the app continue to send periodic emails to update the phones location after it has been stolen and is moving? Maybe you know? I am using Lookout which can be interrogated at any time to located the phone. But it is not a lightweight app, which makes Lockwatch all the more interesting. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I can't answer your question, but maybe someone else can, plus my question!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. I try to test it a few times. I'm still not sure when the mailing and gps kicks in. I do receive a mail when fake stealing my phone So it works good from time to time.
There is an premium feature that will try to sent again when there is data connection again.
If you want even more lightweight, im now using Avira with Lockwatch. If you like your phone to take pics for app locking, you can try Smart App Lock. And if you dislike Chrome, use CM Browser
justanicename said:
You're welcome. I try to test it a few times. I'm still not sure when the mailing and gps kicks in. I do receive a mail when fake stealing my phone So it works good from time to time.
There is an premium feature that will try to sent again when there is data connection again.
If you want even more lightweight, im now using Avira with Lockwatch. If you like your phone to take pics for app locking, you can try Smart App Lock. And if you dislike Chrome, use CM Browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "time to time" bit sounds worrisome! I'm on this group because I gave my wife a Moto G. She just wants a working phone, so now that it's pretty much setup right and she can "drive" it proficiently I tend not to mess with it (read - I am not allowed!) . We live in Peru 6 months a year and we both like the fact that I can ping her phone using Lookout if necessary to see that's she's safe. However, they removed the photo taking feature from the free version, and the paid version is now about $30 p/a. Quite reasonable, but this has prompted me to see what else is out there before giving them my money. I have read good things about Avira ($10 for Pro version), so your recommendation might be perfect. I have also just looked at avast! Anti-Theft (pro version $15 p/a), this also seems very comprehensive, I am not too worried about antivirus protection as she only uses the basic's. Anyway I'm still looking around to look at all possible options. Thanks!
Oh, and sorry I don't mean to pull your thread off track. But you do want a location app that overrides your battery saving setup when needed. So the more possible options open to you the better right? On our Moto G, the WiFi/3g data is always on. We get a 2 to 3 day typical battery life.
grahamgo said:
The "time to time" bit sounds worrisome! I'm on this group because I gave my wife a Moto G. She just wants a working phone, so now that it's pretty much setup right and she can "drive" it proficiently I tend not to mess with it (read - I am not allowed!) . We live in Peru 6 months a year and we both like the fact that I can ping her phone using Lookout if necessary to see that's she's safe. However, they removed the photo taking feature from the free version, and the paid version is now about $30 p/a. Quite reasonable, but this has prompted me to see what else is out there before giving them my money. I have read good things about Avira ($10 for Pro version), so your recommendation might be perfect. I have also just looked at avast! Anti-Theft (pro version $15 p/a), this also seems very comprehensive, I am not too worried about antivirus protection as she only uses the basic's. Anyway I'm still looking around to look at all possible options. Thanks!
Oh, and sorry I don't mean to pull your thread off track. But you do want a location app that overrides your battery saving setup when needed. So the more possible options open to you the better right? On our Moto G, the WiFi/3g data is always on. We get a 2 to 3 day typical battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's ok, maybe some good anti-theft app can do this overriding the battery saving setup thingy. Im now trying "Android Lost", "AntiTheft & Find My Phone" and "Theftie" (all free of course) . Since we are just both users, maybe we can help each other here on XDA.
Sure, I for one would like to know which app you consider to be the best. Also the reasoning behind the decision.
I hope that you you find one that can override your power saving settings. I would hope that they all can...
grahamgo said:
Sure, I for one would like to know which app you consider to be the best. Also the reasoning behind the decision.
I hope that you you find one that can override your power saving settings. I would hope that they all can...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a few tests, i think Theftie and Lockwatch are the best. But I still need wifi or a data connection. And as a backup i keep Android Lost. So in the end i cannot save battery if i want to use the anti-theft functionalities.
Let me know if you what you decided.
justanicename said:
After a few tests, i think Theftie and Lockwatch are the best. But I still need wifi or a data connection. And as a backup i keep Android Lost. So in the end i cannot save battery if i want to use the anti-theft functionalities.
Let me know if you what you decided.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried cerberus? It's one of the most complete out there at a reasonable price
I have to say Cerberus is very complete, I think this is the first app I have seen that specifies in its description that GPS is turned on even if its turned off. Edit:- not quite, only on systems earlier than 2.3.3 on later version you have to jump through hoops and convert Cerebus to a system app. Then In the case @justanicename the phone still needs to get access to a WiFi of GSM internet connection. I presume the only chance is that if the phone is stolen the thief will try to use the phone and the GSM data connection will become active when the screen comes on?
I did some further research on the battery saving settings and found a discussion sayin that actually turning on/of the wifi/dataconnection/gps is draining the battery more. So I will try this for a while. Cerberus looks really nice, it seems that Theftie does a lot of what cerberus does too.
Hi, I tried Cerberus yesterday. It does everything as advertised. The memory footprint is 4.4mb, compared with Lookout's 19mb, though Lookout does provide antivirus protection. I started to try Theftie today, but was putoff by the requirement to sign in using Google+ a service that I don't like and don't use. So I removed Theftie. I will go with Cerberus costing the one time 3 Euro. Thanks @agusaon for the pointer.
grahamgo said:
Hi, I tried Cerberus yesterday. It does everything as advertised. The memory footprint is 4.4mb, compared with Lookout's 19mb, though Lookout does provide antivirus protection. I started to try Theftie today, but was putoff by the requirement to sign in using Google+ a service that I don't like and don't use. So I removed Theftie. I will go with Cerberus costing the one time 3 Euro. Thanks @agusaon for the pointer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great app! I hope you enjoy it and never have to use it
My wife and I use Life360 to keep track of each other and our kids. Unfortunately my son likes to turn off location on his phone. Is there a way to keep him from doing this?
I think no, tell him dont turn off the gps.
Anyway wait for more reply..
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
For security reasons, Android doesn't natively support device policies like the one you want, so you'll need a Mobile Device Manager service. I think this company offers it for free if you don't have a lot of devices https://www.manageengine.com/mobile/mobile-device-management/
Full disclosure - using an MDM would be overkill, but I'm pretty sure there's no other way to force it to remain on.
Anti-theft apps could be used to turn it on when you notice it's off. There was one such app where you could send SMS to the phone to make the phone do various commands, such as turn on location, but I don't remember its name.