Spyware and adware training: Three Suspects

Spyware & Adware training in a 2:52 animated story. It covers Malicious apps and extensions, app permissions, stalkerware. In English and Arabic, with captions you can switch on or off, and a scenario quiz at the end.

What your team will learn

Identify four signs of adware or spyware: ads where there were none, a new toolbar or home page, searches that go somewhere else, and a phone that runs hot or drains fast.
Check any app or extension with three questions before adding it (what can it see, does it need that, where did it come from), and use only ones IT approves.
State what to do when you find one: remove it, report it to your security team, and change the passwords you typed while it was there, from another device.
State the safe first step if someone may be watching you through your phone: it is not your fault; don't confront them or delete the app in a rush; talk to someone you trust, HR in confidence, or the police.

The story

“Three Suspects” is the story at the heart of this course. Grace (social media manager) is the lead character; the learner watches the situation unfold, spots the warning signs, and sees the right thing to do. Set in Nakhlora Group, a fictional Gulf company.

Sample quiz question

Grace's work browser suddenly fills with ads, and a coupon bar she never added slides in. What is the most likely cause?

The site she searched is running a big sale this week.
Something she added is pushing ads into her browser.
Her laptop is short of memory after the video edit.
Her browser needs a restart to clear old pages.

Correct answer: Something she added is pushing ads into her browser.

Why: Ads where there were none and a bar you never added are signs of adware: something you added, often an extension, is pushing them.

Full transcript

Transcript of the English video. The Arabic transcript is on the Arabic page.

Three Suspects [0:03] Grace: Ads everywhere? And a coupon bar I never added. [0:09] Grace: Omar, it's Grace. Ads everywhere, and my searches open some deals page. [0:16] Omar: Ads where there were none, a new bar or home page, searches sent elsewhere: that's adware. What did you add? [0:25] Grace: A free caption extension, from an ad. It saved me an hour. My mistake. [0:31] Omar: Thanks for telling me. Don't guess: line up what you added this week. [0:38] Grace: QuickCaption, PhotoGlow on my phone, and Nakhlora Files from Nakhlora Apps. [0:44] Omar: Three questions each: What can it see? Does it need that? Where's it from? [0:50] Narrator: Three suspects, three questions. Which one would you remove first? [0:59] Grace: Nakhlora Files sees my work files, needs them, and IT approved it. Cleared. [1:05] Omar: PhotoGlow wants your microphone and location, all the time. A photo filter needs neither. [1:12] Grace: It's from the official store. Could it be heating my phone? [1:17] Omar: Maybe: running hot or draining fast is a sign. The store isn't enough: switch both off. [1:26] Grace: QuickCaption can read and change all my data on all websites. It sees every password I type. [1:34] Omar: That's spyware too. Captions don't need every website. If it asks for more than it needs, don't add it. [1:44] Grace: Removed. Is that it, then? [1:47] Omar: Not yet: I'm logging it. Now change the passwords you typed this week, from your phone. [1:56] Narrator: Found one? Remove it, report it to your security team, and change the passwords you typed, from another device. [2:07] Grace: One more thing. A friend at work: her ex always knows where she is. Could it be her phone? [2:14] Omar: It could be stalkerware: an app someone she knows put there to watch her. It's not her fault. [2:22] Omar: She shouldn't confront him or rush to delete it; that can warn him. [2:27] Omar: She can talk to someone she trusts, to Helen in HR in confidence, or the police. [2:39] Narrator: One habit: before you add an app or extension, check what it can see, and use only ones IT approves.

Key facts

Length (English)	2:52
Length (Arabic)	3:23
Languages	English · العربية
Captions	WebVTT
Quiz bank	14
Questions shown	10
Pass mark	80
Lead character	Grace — social media manager
LMS id	2037