Spoke with Wendy Kingston on Nine News about a new trend that involves software that can be loaded onto your mobile phone, which not only means people to follow you remotely, but also allows them to listen in on your conversations.

While I agree that this type of software is a little over the top and unnecessary, it is out there, so it isn't going away any time soon. Sellers of the product will say it is ideal for parents who worry about their teens, but as discussed on the news, it also can be used in ways for which it wasn't intended – either a stalker or over protective partner.

Now, before people get all agitated by these intrusive programs, don't get too upset by it because all is not as it seems. First of all, somebody has to download it onto your phone in order for it to work. This is quite a hard thing to do. Most of us have a pin number that people would need to access your mobile, so there's your first barrier to averting unwanted attention.

Second, even if by some small miracle they do download it to your phone, it won't be long before you find out. If you start getting texts and calls from your partner asking why you are at a particular location, or asking about the contents of a text, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out you must have something loaded on your phone giving away this information.

Third, if you are even a little suspicious that something has been downloaded, check through your menu looking for unfamiliar programs. If you find one, uninstall it, and perhaps ask a few questions of those near and dear to you if they know how the software founds its way onto the handset.

Finally, in a worst case scenario, you can wind your phone back to the original settings. This will uninstall all the applications and programs you have put onto the mobile since you've had it, but it will also clear the phone of unwanted software.