The official Google Play listing reads: ‘SnoopSnitch collects and analyzes mobile radio data to make you aware of your mobile network security and to warn you about threats like fake base stations (IMSI catchers), user tracking, and SS7 attacks.’ The SnoopSnitch App scans for signals that indicate a switch from a legitimate tower to a International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher aka ‘stingray’, where information may be being collected for intercepting mobile phone traffic and tracking the movement of smart-phone users. The app can’t prevent a smart-phone from connecting to stingrays, but it does let a user know there is surveillance in a certain area. The App combines granular control over who sees what with multi-conversation context and rich media to create a simple and intuitive way to have interactive, personal conversations allowing users to easily select who to start conversations with. Enabling users to add or remove people at any time. It is important to note that currently SnoopSnitch only works with rooted Android handsets that have Qualcomm chips inside, such as Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy models. So what are IMSI catchers / stingrays IMSI catchers – eavesdropping devices used for intercepting mobile phone traffic and tracking the movement of smart-phone users they act like ‘fake’ mobile towers. These devices sit between a real phone and telecom tower to launch a man-in-the-middle attack and intercept data. Once a phone has connected to a stingray, it allows a hacker/government agency with a IMSI catcher to intercept and convert data to audio, enabling them to listen to people’s phone calls.
