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Smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of our daily lives. With their help, we solve dozens of important tasks every day. It is a means of communication, a working tool, a way of entertainment, etc.
But there is another side of the coin. Because smartphones are so widely used, hackers try to hack gadgets to gain access to your data. They use mobile malware, the number of which is increasing every year. For example, in 2021, AdWare, RiskTool, and Trojan were the most common malware, but the full list of dangerous software is, of course, much wider. You may not even believe this number. Zimperium claims to have counted over two million mobile malware samples in 2021! Just imagine the scale of hacker work! Attackers are ready to go to great lengths to get your passwords, access to mail and accounts, your photos and videos, etc.
Surely you have a question about how exactly cell phones are hacked. One of the most common methods is phishing attacks. Zimperium’s analysis shows that 75 percent of phishing sites are specifically targeted mobile devices.
Another way of hacking is through infected mobile applications. You download them to your gadget, launch them, and that is enough for the malicious software to start performing its hacker tasks. It can download your data or even monitor you around the clock.
This is why users need to pay more attention to the cyber security of their mobile phones and other gadgets.
Signs your smartphone has been hacked
The complexity of the situation lies in the fact that gadget owners are often unaware of hacking. They continue to use their phone, giving the hackers the opportunity to get more data. And only some minor signs can tell them about a cybersecurity breach.
We have grouped the main signs of a hack into several categories.
1) Problems with the battery
Perhaps your phone’s battery is old and can’t withstand the load, so it gets very hot and discharges quickly. But it can also be due to complex tasks that the gadget performs without your knowledge. For example, a malicious application is actively running and downloading your data. It requires more resources, and the battery drains faster.
2) Strange smartphone behavior
If your phone performs tasks that you did not set, there is a risk that someone else is remotely controlling the gadget. The phone suddenly reboots, the camera flash turns on, windows pop up, the phone requests access to some strange sites or offers to change account passwords, etc. Any of these actions should make you suspicious.
3) Increased data usage
Have you ever analyzed your phone’s statistics? We advise you to do this regularly, especially if the phone is acting up. The data on your gadget is what hackers are primarily interested in. If attackers try to download something, the statistics will show you this.Each of these signs may be related to technical problems with the phone, in which case you should not be alarmed. But if you notice several of these signs at once, this is the reason to ensure cyber security for your smartphone.
Reasons you need additional phone protection
After the transition of society to smartphones and tablets, hackers also focused their attention on mobile devices. More than 60 percent of fraud cases are associated with mobile devices.
At the same time, users often ignore cyber threats and do not know what measures they need to take for smartphone protection. Including, users carelessly install unfamiliar and unverified applications on their gadgets, although apps are one of the main methods of hacking. In addition, applications often collect a large amount of sensitive information. Having access to them, hackers automatically get a huge database.
Another way to get access to your information is the so-called smishing attacks. They are largely designed specifically for the gullibility and inexperience of users. Hackers send out sms and offer to follow a link or open a file. Just one click of yours and malware is launched on your phone. This is a simple and effective way to cheat. It affects not only individual users but also companies.
By the way, if a user comes to work and connects his infected phone to the corporate network, he will give hackers access to all connected devices. Did you know about it?
As you can see, there can be a lot of hacking methods, and users often cannot protect their gadgets from cyber threats themselves. Therefore, it is better to think about security in advance and improve the protection of your phone.
Solutions and tips to keep your phone safe in 2023
So what can you do if your smartphone is hacked? Let’s look at the options in order of increasing problem complexity.
1) Passwords change
If you have even the slightest sign of a phone hack, immediately change the passwords for logging in to your phone, applications, email, etc.
2) Check phone statistics
View application activity data. If an application makes you suspicious, remove it.
3) Factory reset
If the previous steps did not give the desired result, perform a factory reset. Please note that there is a risk of losing some data. Also, you will then have to reset settings, passwords, etc.
If you are not sure you can do everything right, contact the repair engineers for help. They will diagnose and check if your smartphone needs to be repaired.
Conclusion
Due to their versatility, smartphones are an important work tool today. This became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when employees of many companies began to work remotely. It turned out that without modern technologies – the Internet, laptops, smartphones, and tablets – it is almost impossible to work. Smartphones have also become indispensable in everyday life.
Hackers know about it and use every possible means to scam and hack your phones. Therefore, you should not be casual about cyber threats. This danger is real.
If you want to protect your daily life, think ahead about the safety of your gadgets and be careful when using them.
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