Protecting Your Cell Phones Against Spyware

Seems every time you read or watch the news, there’s a new story about someone discovering nasty spyware secretly downloaded onto a cell phone.  Such spyware (or malware) is a real threat, but according to some experts, the media makes it seem more prevalent than it really is.  According to one of our PI associates who’s quite knowledgeable about cell phone forensics, a lot of cell spyware is junk, although there are also some competent, popular software brands out there.  He estimates there’s currently over 500 documented malwares for cell phones.

One of our Writing PIs currently wrote an article about how to protect yourself from cell phone spyware:

Are Cell Phones Good? Or How to Protect Cell Phones From Going Bad Due to Downloaded Spyware: (had problems shortening this url–if you click and the article doesn’t open, select the entire url and paste into your browser)

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Cell-Phones-Good?-Or-How-to-Protect-Cell-Phones-From-Going-Bad-Due-to-Downloaded-Spyware&id=4259176

Here’s a YouTube video “Is Your Cell Phone Bugged?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujosfSkHFrQ

You lock the doors to your house and car, right?  You password-protect your computer, right?  Follow the suggestions in the above article to also protect your cell phone.

Have a great week, Writing PIs

A Slew of Sleuth Articles

First, a freebie: To win a free registration for “Trials 101” post a comment by December 12 (winner’s name to be picked December 13).  To read more about the class, go to end of this post *

Investigative Articles

Below are some of our current articles–handy tips for both real-life PIs and writers writing their fictional counterparts. 

How to Start a Private Investigations Business: http://tinyurl.com/yl3w6md

Protecting Yourself Online: http://tinyurl.com/y9ujb3p        

When Does Surveillance Become Stalking? http://tinyurl.com/ybzn7jd 

How to Protect Your Cell Phone from Spyware: http://tinyurl.com/ylj3lfs 

How to Quickly Interpret Another’s Language via a Telephone: http://tinyurl.com/y9ghere

 

* December 14-21, 2009: Online Class “Trials 101”

 
Writing a story with a courtroom scene and need to add some realistic touches? Or perhaps you’re fleshing out a trial attorney, or maybe just want a handle on a few terms for when your protagonist makes a court appearance? This class is an introduction to trials (U.S. legal system), outlining the key players in the courtroom, the history of trials, a few reasons why trials happen (as well as some wrong reasons trials happen, which could provide great story conflict), and ends with several examples of outstanding trials in books and movies. One week, 2 classes, questions answered by email in-between. 

Instructor Bios

Shaun Kaufman has worked in and around the criminal justice field for nearly 25 years, as a former trial attorney and a current legal investigator. He’s published articles in PI magazine, the Denver Law Review, and authored numerous briefs for the Colorado Court of Appeals, Colorado Supreme Court, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Shaun is a popular speaker at conferences, entertaining and educating writers with his insights and expertise about investigations, crime scenes, how PIs effectively testify in trials, and more. His father always told him to be a writer, not a lawyer.

Colleen Collins is a PI by day, a multi-published author by night. Her articles on private investigations have appeared on various sites on the Internet as well as in PI Magazine, Pursuit Magazine, NINK (Novelists, Inc.), and other publications.  A member of the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and Romance Writers of America (RWA), she’s written 20 novels, and has spoken at regional and national writers conferences about writing private eyes in fiction.

Trials 101 registration: www.writingprivateinvestigators.com

Private Eyes and Crime Scenes

This article is now available in How Do Private Eyes Do That?available on Kindle.

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