Spyware can be installed on any device - a PC or laptop, a tablet, iPhone, or Android smartphone. And if governments can do it, you can bet criminals everywhere will be trying to get their hands on that functionality. The installed software, like FinFisher, can allow them to snoop on Facebook and Skype, as well as go through your emails.
Government agencies are even able to insert spyware via iTunes, according to German magazine Der Spiegel. It's more likely to arrive attached to dodgy downloads or via a phishing attack. If you look carefully, it's probably mentioned in the small print. Spyware can even arrive attached to apparently legitimate programs. Sometimes it even disguises itself as a file that is innocent and a vital part of your OS. Usually, it does this by attaching itself to your operating system and running in the background as a memory-resident program. Spyware is sneaky, and it's very good at hiding itself.
