The Best Software For Spy Kids

Are you feeling inspired by the SSALTW series? Do you want to do the things that were done in the book?  Do you dream of becoming a kid spy? Unfortunately, since companies have stopped making spy toys and radio communication devices, we now turn to computer and mobile software to fill the gap.

The number one aspect of a good spy agency is communication. If you have walkie-talkies, that’s a great first step. To take it digital (or intercept your rivals’ communications), download SDR+ or SDR# on a PC. These are compatible with my favorite SDR device, the RTL-SDR. With this setup, you can intercept frequencies, monitor your team’s conversations from a home base, or record your opponents’ communications. On mobile, the applications shown below of apps can offer similar functionality.

You might use applications like Snapchat or Instagram for more modern communications, but these aren’t as secure as Briar, a peer-to-peer communication app. Briar allows you to communicate over the same Wi-Fi network even if the internet goes down. You could create an offline network to stay in touch within range. While it lacks the simplicity of old RF communication toys, Briar remains a solid option. It can even securely communicate with home bases over the internet when needed. Sadly, Briar doesn’t support iOS devices, so agents with Apple gear will need more mainstream apps.

Tools like MS Word or Google Docs are ideal for storing information on opponents and sharing mission reports. Word has the advantage of password-protecting documents, while Google Docs is entirely browser-based with robust sharing features. Word also supports cloud storage for sharing files within your agency. For charts and graphs, Excel or Google Sheets work well. If you need to track relationships or alliances—say, in a school setting or a large spy agency—Memento DB is an excellent database tool. It supports desktop and mobile use, includes cloud functionality, and even handles image attachments, making it perfect for managing complex information, Ex: (SSA->GCAM->Geneva-Maverick->SSA->Denver->9^th grade). Or maybe you want to run for president, like Ethan Shay did in the SSALTW series. 

For file management, consider NotebookLM to interact with your documents or Google Files to lock files on Android devices. To share files over a network, use File Manager Plus to spin up an FTP server, though keep in mind this method is less secure. I also like the application ‘everything search’ on Windows for file search.

Managing images is a bit more intricate. Apps like Samsung Photos and Google Photos offer built-in face recognition but can sometimes fall short. For more robust options, try web-based face search tools or digiKam for offline face tagging and organization on PC. For image editing, IrfanView allows adjustments like contrast and brightness on PC, while mobile galleries offer basic editing. For video playback, VLC Media Player is highly recommended.

If you want a remote camera setup, like Ethan used in the "Open Locker Mystery," try the Alfred Security Camera app on two devices to turn your phone into a remote surveillance camera. Alternatively, you can build your own setup using a Raspberry Pi or by connecting a camera to a PC. Unfortunately, RF walkie-talkie cameras and spy cameras are no longer widely available, so building your own may be your best bet.

Another key aspect of espionage is surveillance. While dedicated bugging toys may be the best option, there is software available on how to secretly record and monitor your adversaries with Bluetooth headphones or a discrete video camera. On PC, you can try WO-Mic to use a Bluetooth mic as a live bug, but it barely works in my testing. For something more stable, get a cheap walkie-talkie and find the frequency by searching the FCCID online. Then tape it down into ‘talk’ mode and tune your SDR to that frequency on your PC. Then all you have to do is record.

    Codebreaking is an important segment of being a spy. If you need to send coded messages, use the Caesar Cipher application on Android or the dcode.fr tools for encryption and brute-forcing codes online on your PC. There are also other codes you can choose on that webpage. Speaking of webpages, here are some useful ones that may come in handy:

- Pimeyes for face search

- Tool for online image analysis

- Flightradar for plane tracking

    Other applications that can come in handy include Talker ACR and its helper to record calls, as well as Audacity to manipulate audio on a PC to analyze recordings for background sounds. Fing to scan networks and your local newspaper or SmartNews for updates.

Lastly, any 21st-century kid spy agency must have AI tools. I recommend ChatGPT and Copilot to help create new code (Python), summarize your reports, and come up with new ideas, as well as NotebookLM, which is a great tool to chat with a cache of documents. You can then write this out in Word and use a mind-mapping tool or your database to map out relationships. This leads me to my last topic—Mapping!

Any good spy agency needs to have a good map. That is why I recommend Google Earth for outdoor maps, as it has a measuring tool. GeoSpy AI to find the location of an image, and for more advanced map searches, you can use OSM, Bellingcat, or Overpass Turbo. Overlaying these maps in Paint or a more advanced image/graphics editor allows you to create 2D models of these drawings as well and plot out where you need to be or where to hide your stash of Nerf guns. For 3D maps, use applications like this one or Floor Plan 3D to map out a room in your house. If anyone wants to get in, make sure you download a metal-detecting application to scan them in!!

God Bless and Happy Spying!!! 

PS: Run this code and save it as a .bat for a exclusive Spy Program (password generator) 

@echo off

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

:: Define the length of the password

set /p length="Enter the length of the password: "

:: Define the characters to be used in the password

set characters=abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789!@#$%^&*()

:: Initialize the password variable

set password=

:: Generate the password

for /l %%i in (1, 1, %length%) do (

    set /a index=!random! %% 72

    for %%j in (!index!) do set "char=!characters:~%%j,1!"

    set "password=!password!!char!"

)

:: Display the generated password

echo Generated password: %password%

pause