Maybe you’ve noticed it, or you haven’t, but phone hacking is rising. It’s not too surprising. The pandemic turned the office worker into a mobile worker, primarily working from the comforts of home, a fast and almost overnight move. The urgency to adapt left many companies unprepared and, in many cases, without proper cybersecurity protection—the perfect storm for cybercriminals preying on unsuspecting targets. This blog will look at how to know if your phone is hacked.
Did you know that over 60 percent of fraud occurs through mobile devices? Further, the bulk of attacks (80%) infiltrates through unauthorized apps.
Unfortunately, as people increasingly store sensitive data on their mobile devices, it isn’t only the typical hackers looking to exploit your privacy—frenemies, exes or strangers may want your information. We have become even more vulnerable.
Let’s start by becoming aware of the signs you might notice about your phone if it has been hacked.
The battery needs to be charged often
Your phone habits may have remained constant, but you see that the battery drains rapidly. It may happen because a hacked phone gives all its power to the hacker’s applications. When you recharge, you are charging their applications.
You didn’t send or receive texts or calls
Somebody may have hacked your phone if you see calls or texts you didn’t make. When a friend or family member contacts you about a weird text, this is a sign you may have been hacked.
Higher data usage than usual
Data usage can be high for various reasons. Nevertheless, it’s time to investigate if your phone behaviour hasn’t changed, but your data usage has. Your provider will not automatically inform you of higher than normal data use, so check up on your data usage.
Apps you don’t recognize
Given that the bulk of infiltrations occurs through our apps when you notice new apps appear on your phone after buying it, someone may have hacked your phone. Keep an eye on the applications you install.
Check your social media
You may begin to notice that your social media accounts are showing some unusual and unlike your activities—hackers who access your phone attempt to access your social media accounts. An excellent way to check is to verify if you have any password reset prompts, strange login locations, or fresh account signup verifications.
Other signs include unaccounted-for screen freeze, system crashes, and hard restarts.
What to do if your phone is hacked
If you notice or are suspicious that your phone has been hacked, visit your service provider and have it inspected. Here’s what else you can do:
- Scan your phone with an anti-virus app
- Reset your phone
- Delete suspicious apps
- Change your default password
- Turn off your Bluetooth service when you aren’t using it.
- Never leave your phone unattended
- Request contacts to ignore messages.
There is still more you can do
If you’re still worried about your phone getting hacked, there are further steps:
- Avoid unsecured public WiFi. Hackers are specific and will target the more “opportunistic” locations, such as your bank account, via public WiFi.
- Turn off autocomplete feature. The autocomplete helps you enter a Google search more quickly. But by turning this off, you can prevent stored personal data from being observed.
- Regularly delete your browsing history, cookies, and cache. In short, get rid of your virtual footprint. A hacker will see less and get less.
- Enable Find My iPhone. By turning the feature on in your settings, you’ll be able to locate your phone if you misplace it before the hackers can lay their paws on it.
- Never leave your phone unattended. Keep your phone with you at all times while in a public place.
- Protect your PIN and Credit Card data. Use a protected app to store PINs and credit cards. Your best bet is never to store them on your phone.
- Keep up with software updates.
If you wish to learn more about consumer concerns like phone hacking, you can download our mobile app, FRAUDSTER, available on Apple and Android. You can learn more at www.FraudsterApp.com
If you’re already downloaded the FraudsterApp, click the training icon on the home screen to learn to protect yourself.
For companies that still have remote workers, Cyology Labs can help you understand how to handle your cybersecurity. Call us for a free consultation.
