Mobile device monitoring and control system

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for surreptitiously installing, monitoring, and operating software on a remote computer controlled wireless communication device are described. One aspect includes a control system for communicating programming instructions and exchanging data with the remote computer controlled wireless communication device. The control system is configured to provide at least one element selected from the group consisting of: a computer implemented device controller; a module repository in electronic communication with the device controller; a control service in electronic communication with the device controller; an exfiltration data service in electronic communication with the device controller configured to receive, store, and manage data obtained surreptitiously from the remote computer controlled wireless communication device; a listen-only recording service in electronic communication with the device controller; and a WAP gateway in electronic communication with the remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for unauthorized surreptitious monitoring and, optionally, surreptitious control of, a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, comprising surreptitiously receiving at said remote computer controlled wireless communication device and surreptitiously installing without authorization on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device computer program instructions from a control system, said computer program instructions being configured to enable at least one of an unauthorized surreptitious monitoring, unauthorized surreptitious controlling, or unauthorized surreptitious communications function on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said computer program instructions being constructed according to characteristics of said computer controlled wireless communications device such that said computer program instructions are surreptitiously installed and accepted by said computer controlled wireless communication device as if authorized; and
 the user of said device is unaware of said surreptitious installing without authorization and said establishing surreptitious communications between said computer controlled wireless communications device and said control system without the knowledge of said user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communications device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving at said remote computer controlled device surreptitious communications from said control system, said surreptitious communications being configured to at least partially determine one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said surreptitious communications comprise SMS-encoded signals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving at said remote computer controlled wireless communications device one or more computer program instructions, said instructions being selected at least in part based on said at least partially determined characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communications device. 
     
     
         6 . A method for unauthorized surreptitious monitoring and, optionally, surreptitious control of, a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, comprising surreptitiously sending from a control system to said remote computer controlled wireless communication device and surreptitiously installing without authorization on said remote computer controlled wireless computer program instructions configured to enable at least one of an unauthorized surreptitious monitoring, unauthorized surreptitious controlling, or unauthorized surreptitious communications function on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said computer program instructions being constructed according to characteristics of said computer controlled wireless communications device such that said computer program instructions are installed and accepted by said computer controlled wireless communication device as if authorized; and
 the user of said device is unaware of said surreptitious installing without authorization and establishing surreptitiously communications between said computer controlled wireless communications device and said control system without the knowledge of said user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising determining one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communications device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising sending from said control system to said remote computer controlled device surreptitious communications configured to at least partially determine one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said surreptitious communications comprise SMS-encoded signals. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving at said remote computer controlled wireless communications device one or more computer program instructions, said instructions being selected at least in part based on said at least partially determined characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communications device. 
     
     
         11 . A system for unauthorized surreptitious monitoring and, optionally, surreptitious control of, a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, comprising: a control system configured to surreptitiously establish communication with said device and to surreptitiously relay unauthorized programming instructions and data to said device; a surreptitious installer including computer program instructions configured to enable at least one of an unauthorized surreptitious monitoring, unauthorized surreptitious controlling, or unauthorized surreptitious communications function on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device such that said computer program instructions are installed and accepted by said computer controlled wireless communication device as if authorized and the user of said device is unaware of said unauthorized surreptitious monitoring, said surreptitious controlling, or said surreptitious communications. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said control system is further configured to determine one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communications device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said control system is further configured send to said remote computer controlled device surreptitious communications configured to at least partially determine one or more characteristics of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said surreptitious communications comprise SMS-encoded signals. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting from a set of computer program instructions one or more computer program instructions to be sent by said control system to said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, based at least in part upon the characteristics of the devices determined in the characteristic determine step.