Hi, received a brand new iphone from the company I work for.
I use my own number for both business calls and private calls.
My current mobile is on the way out….
I don't want the company to spy on me (nothing to hide) or to check where I am etc.
Nothing to hide but don't like big brother tactics.
Is it possible for them to install hidden software?
If yes, would a factory reset get rid of it?
It's possible. What's their mobile phone policy document say?
Just have a separate private phone and phone number
Who owns the phone?
Depends on what phone you use. Android has administrator access and that gives your company every information that is stored on your phone. What file types, apps etc. iPhone is no different with a different style of access. I would not use it for personal reason to avoid getting in to any issues. Specially if you use it for any wrong stuff, hackers might attempt to get access in to your data and that rings a bell for security team. Stay away.
They can use MDM (Mobile Device Management) software - it's easy to detect - Settings -> General -> Profiles & Device Management
Just logged into the portal for an MDM provider I used for testing a while back - won't mention everything but will mention the basics
If yes, would a factory reset get rid of it?
It will but I wouldn't do that without permission if it's a company phone
How would they feel if the phone was put in airplane mode while out of business hours? Or does just having the phone mean you are on call to accept phone calls and emails 24/7.
How would they feel if the phone was put in airplane mode while out of business hours?
The OP uses the phone for personal and business purposes - what if they need to answer a personal phone call?
Or does just having the phone mean you are on call to accept phone calls and emails 24/7.
Highly dependant on the job
If yes, would a factory reset get rid of it?
It will but I wouldn't do that without permission if it's a company phone
It won't always, unless it's a pretty terrible MDM setup they have going there. At my company the phone (be it Android or iOS) is only usable once enrolled. The SN of the devices won't allow it to be set up until the SN is checked in a portal (Android for Enterprise, AfE, or Apple Device Enrollment Program, DEP)
If using recent Samsung phones, use Secure Folder ie Knox
Rumor has it that placing a phone inside a foil chip bag blocks the GPS 👍👍
Asian usually put it inside a bag full of rice
In WA, the Surveillance Devices Act 1998 (WA) lays the ground rules for the use tracking devices. Per the legislation, any type of equipment, instrument, apparatus, or device that can determine geographical location of a person or object at any given time qualifies as a tracking device.
Mainly, GPS tracking is not illegal in WA. It is, however, illegal to install a device to determine an employee’s geographical location without their consent.
As a company, if you have contravened any provision of the Act, you could face a fine of up to $50,000*. Just as important, each person who is a director of the company or who is concerned in the management of the company is taken to have contravened the same provision if the person knowingly authorised or permitted the contravention. Individuals may face fines up to $5,000* or 12 months’ imprisonment or both. (Sections 7 and 39).
MDM software installed on company devices e.g. Intune or Airwatch can track your phones location, remote wipe it and lock down access to internal services via VPN, provide company portals to software apps etc. If you reset the phone you will remove it and also remove your access to the company systems, email etc. If you did that to the phones at my workplace you wouldn't be able to access any work services. We don't allow phones access to any email or company services without onboarding them to the MDM. We cannot spy on your SMS, we can see the apps you install as we can block those we don't want on our devices e.g. TikTok, Facebook etc after all they are the companies devices.
Even your normal non work phone tracks what you do if you use any Google service for instance so regardless of a reset, someones can see where you go, what you buy, browse online etc and it's far more than we can with MDM. I'd be more worried about 200 odd apps that have recently been identified as copying data from your clipboard and uploading it than your works MDM.
Op, you are putting yourself in a difficult position.
Because you are using their device, you are basically agreeing to abide by their rules. If you interfere with the software, you may undermine any safeguards the company have to protect their property from either cyber thieves or physical theft. I believe the company has the right to be able to know where their property is at all times, so you're going to have to accept that.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
My solution for you would be to buy a cheap phone for personal use and leave your work phone at home if you're not on call.
I guess I will keep the phone for business only and one private for my private use :-)
Was trying to save money ha ha ha…
Just get a $5 Aldi SIM and share the data from your work phone, they can't see the data transmitted over the mobile network so you're safe there.
If he's concerned about them tracking him, he'll have to turn the network off or leave the phone at home (when he's not at work). So this probably won't work for him anyway.
Its understandable, This is Ozbargain after all. chances are even if they can track you they probably wont just out of courtesy unless the phone goes missing or something. But i wouldn't be using it to do any private-ish web searches on or anything. The only other thing i can see would suck is if you leave the job and have to hand the phone back you're going to have to save all your contacts and message them all with a new phone number.
Just build a tiny Faraday Cage and put the phone inside.
Or just turn it off? The problem is that he wants to use it for personal reasons as well
Lol just leave it at the workplace everytime you go home. When the manager/boss needs help, he can call himself
If there is any tracking software, it's likely to be a condition of you having the phone, so removing it will probably cause employment issues.
Often it's used for company security rather than tracking your phone - preventing a stolen phone from letting company private/confidential information to get out.
There could also be downsides to removing any software (even if you can reset it). The last company I worked for, if you reset the phone, you couldn't access your work emails on it