Techniques for cell phone surveillance

Though cell phones are primarily used for keeping in touch (originally) via text messages and phone calls their capabilities have far excelled. They can now be used to track your location, plan your daily and get in touch with contacts automatically. Though you might like to think that you cannot be tracked because certain options on your phone are not active this is not true. There are still ways that make cell phone surveillance very much possible.

GPS and Network Triangulation

Global positioning and network triangulation are two methods that can be employed to track you or if you want to track someone.

The GPS was introduced on cell phone in 2009.  Though not all cell phones have this feature, the numbers of them that have it are increasing each day especially since most cell phone companies realize that it is what the customers want. These systems have the ability to track you location within a radius of a couple feet and have global reach.

Whenever you are in the direction of two cell phone towers with your cell phone then a triangle is created.  This is known as Network triangulation.  In cases like these the two towers can measure your network strength and can determine your location. Though this service is less precise than GPS it is still highly accurate particularly in dense cellular networks.

If you want to minimize your network triangulation you can do so by turning off the location services on your cell phone. If this is done then the phone’s registration with ongoing monitoring by your network will be turned off. You should bear in mind that is not a complete fix and by law this option should note off, as in the case of a 911 call the police will need to track your location so you should avoid turning it off. The best way to avoid being tracked at all is to turn your phone off when you are not using it.

Conversation Traces and Taps

This is another way that you can get cell phone monitoring. This is using your cell phone to monitor the conversations that are held on it. Some of these methods include:

• Duplicating the serial number that is used by the cell phone to identify itself on the network
• Installing tapping devices at the trunk area where the network patches your call into the overall telephone network

If other parties are able to hear the conversation then it is referred to as a tap and a trace refers to if another party is able to see who you are calling and details of the call such as time and duration. It is quite unfortunate that you will not know when someone is tapping into your call or tracing it. These can be installed by the networks of the parties that you call as well as your network provider.

The main thing that you will need to use your mobile phone for surveillance is the headset for your mobile and then follows the steps below:

• Ensure that your phone is turned on and visit the menu page. Find the setting for the profile and then choose silent. Use the ‘options’ menu to take the phone off vibrate as well.
• From the phone menu you will need to go back to profiles -> call settings -> automatic.
• Attach the headset to the phone by snapping it into the slot provided. This is important as many phones will not be able to go on auto answer without the headset.
• Hide your phone in the area where you want the surveillance to be recorded and wait for the appropriate.
• Try to go in a concealed place and dial the number for the cell phone. It will be automatically answered after about four rings. You should start to listen to the conversation when it begins and if you want to record it you can place a recorder near to the device so that the conversation will be taped.

Just as how you can use your cell phone for garnering information without other people knowing you can also be a victim of something quite similar. You should therefore know how to protect your mobile phone from spyware.

Instructions on avoiding cell phone spyware

• Put a password on your cell phone. This is quite easy to do and it is a simple solution to looking unwanted people out of your phone. If a password is on your phone and an intruder is trying to access it then this would be impossible (on some phones) or it would take quite a while for it to be unlocked.
• If you are being prompted to connect to any unknown devices or networks you should refuse the connection.  You should also refrain from opening attachments from unfamiliar sources. The steps that you would take on your computer to limit hacking and similar activities should be the same steps that you take on your phone to avoid the same thing.
• If a stranger wants to borrow you cell phone and they are behaving suspiciously then simply say no. If the situation seems like a genuine emergency then offer to be the link between the person on the other end and the stranger who asked for the call. If you decide to hand them the phone then dial the number for them and then hand the stranger the phone and actively monitor the conversation.