A quick Google search will lead you to hundreds of different types of stealth technology services available to anyone for spying purposes. These surveillance products are extremely easy to install and allow cyberstalkers to tap into any target mobile device to hear conversations, view call logs, read text messages, locate the cell phone’s whereabouts, retrieve address book information, view photographs, and more. With spyware technology, a cyberstalker can even eavesdrop on real-time conversations when the phone is not being used, and find personal data that the phone’s owner has already deleted. Even scarier is the fact that victims usually have no clue that they are being monitored. This obvious invasion of privacy could lead to other dangers like in-person stalking as well as identity theft.

It is true that spy tools have been around for years, but the growing popularity of hacking malware is both disturbing and most likely unlawful. Let’s be clear. Unless you are monitoring a cell phone that you or your child owns, using spyware technology to retrieve information is illegal, and cyberstalkers could face federal charges if caught.

Over 90% of cyberstalking victims are women, and according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 58% of 12-year-olds and 73% of 13-year-olds have cell phones, so this puts our children at risk for cyberstalking too.

Here are a few tips to protect your cell phone from being hacked:

1.       Avoid leaving your phone unattended, especially in a location where someone may be able to access it.

2.       Set up a secure password on the phone to prevent anyone from using it if found.

3.       Remove the battery from your phone when it's not in use.

4.       Choose a cell phone that cannot access the Internet because those that do are more vulnerable.

5.       Consider purchasing a mobile security solution that includes virus protection as an extra safeguard.

Here are some key signs that your phone is currently tapped:

1.       Your cell phone battery is warm to the touch, even when the phone hasn’t been used.

2.       You hear odd beeps or clicks during phone conversations.

3.       You have trouble turning your cell phone off.

4.       Your cell phone lights up at odd times, including when the phone is not in use.

If you believe that your cell phone has, in fact, been tapped, turn it off and remove the battery immediately. You may also try contacting your cell phone carrier to get instructions on how to reinstall the phone’s operating system. If you or your child are experiencing cyberstalking that is serious in nature or continues to be a problem, contact your local authorities or the National Center for Victims of Crime.

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With most modern digital cameras, geotagging is not a default option.  It involves add-on hardware to geotag at the time of picture taking, or software to mark pictures after the fact.  The most notable exception to this rule is smart phones, which are already equipped with the hardware necessary to geotag. Frequently, smart phone users don’t realize they’re revealing location information, because geotagging is enabled by default.  Users are frequently never asked if they want the option.

Uploading geotagged pictures from a smart phone to social networking sites, such as Facebook, or photo sharing sites, such as Flickr, for example, can give a cyberstalker precise location information about where the picture was taken and, by extension, precise location information of the individuals in the picture.

Sharing pictures is a big part of social networking.  The best way to share smart phone pictures with networked friends and to keep safe at the same time is to disable the geotagging on smart phones.

A few precautions will keep site users safe from cyberstalkers.

• Consider the person’s age.   GPS-based sites and apps are really not appropriate for children.  A bit of maturity goes a long way toward keeping a site member safe.  Thirteen is a reasonable age to grant use of these services, but several sites don’t even allow users under age 18.  Consider both the service and the age and maturity of the child who will use it.
• Post avatars or photos of pets as identifiers for young people who do use these sites.  They absolutely should not post real pictures of themselves as identifiers, as these can pose security risks.
• Check in often with apps downloaded to a young person’s phone. Ask what the apps are, and if an app involves sharing the child’s location, check his/her friends list.  If the child’s cell is on a family plan, these apps can be blocked by a parent from download. Otherwise, frequent hands-on checks of the child’s cell is the best approach.
• Make certain that friends who receive GPS updates are real-life friends and not members of an extended network that might include any number of unknowns.  Confirm that the security settings of the site/app allow only wanted followers.
• Consider “checking in” at a location as you are leaving, rather than upon arrival, to minimize the chance of an unwanted encounter with someone unknown.

Parents should remind their children about the potential dangers of talking to strangers. As cliché as the lesson sounds, the discussion is certainly warranted.

Privacy advocates agree that members of GPS-based sites need to fully understand the risks involved with using them. Posting information about one’s whereabouts serves as an open invitation to potential cyber-stalkers who wish to locate them. Members also risk the chance of a home invasion since they may publically announce when they are not home. Plus, sites like Foursquare collect a ton of personal information about their members such as where they prefer to eat, shop and play.

To view a CNN news story about this topic, click here. To view an interview with Foursquare's founder, Dennis Crowley, click here.