TOOWOOMBA, Australia (Kashmir English): Australian researchers have developed a powerful technique that can detect hidden vault apps on smartphones with up to 98% accuracy.
The technique would help law enforcement in digital investigations and digital forensics.
The study, conducted by the University of Southern Queensland, and Edith Cowan University, found that machine learning (ML) can detect vault apps with up to 98% accuracy on Android devices.
Vault apps
Vault apps allow users to store messages, files, or even other apps behind layers of encryption. While often used for privacy, these apps have increasingly been linked to illicit activities, including espionage and unauthorised surveillance.
“These apps can mimic normal ones, making them very difficult to detect,” said Associate Professor Mike Johnstone from ECU. “Current detection tools rely on prior knowledge of suspicious apps, which limits their usefulness.”
By contrast, the new machine learning approach can identify vault apps without needing a pre-existing list or database.
The breakthrough is likely to offer a valuable tool for the law enforcement and security agencies, particularly when android devices have become more integral to modern life. Over 5 billion people are using smartphones worldwide, according to a rough estimate.
“Given how common smartphones are, any non-invasive and accurate method for identifying these hidden apps could be a game-changer,” said Professor Johnstone.
The researchers now plan to expand the breakthrough to include more algorithms, a wider dataset, and tests on non-Android devices.
