Did you know how many smartphones and mobile phones are there in the world? There are more than 3.5 million smartphones and this number is growing at a rapid pace. As the number of smartphones and our dependence on them grows, so does the threat. The amount of data we carry on our smartphones these days is staggering, which makes them a lucrative target for cybercriminals.
Even though Apple and Google have done their bit to secure their respective app stores and taken steps to prevent malicious apps from getting into app stores, we still hear the news of malicious apps not only making their way to app stores but also to users' smartphones.
There are many ways cyber attackers can use to infect your smartphones with malware. They can inject malware into mobile apps, and you might download the app thinking that it is safe but as soon as you fire up the app, malicious code is executed, and your device is compromised. What is even worse is the fact that you do not even realize that your smartphone has been hacked. How can you know whether your smartphone has been hacked or not?
In this article, you will learn about seven alarming signs that indicate that your smartphone has been hacked.
1. Faster Battery Drain
You have purchased a new smartphone. The battery life is stellar, easily lasting you a day and a half. After a few weeks, the battery starts draining so quickly that you must charge your phone twice in a single day. You start thinking about what is wrong with your new smartphone but could not find anything.
One thing that might have never crossed your mind is malware silently residing in your phone and executing processes that are responsible for draining your battery fast. All you must do is to see which apps and processes are responsible for battery drain. You can easily do that by going into settings and battery settings on your Android and iOS devices. It will give you a clear picture of which apps are consuming the most battery so you can disable or uninstall them to preserve battery life.
2. Higher Data Consumption
Let us say hackers have somehow managed to inject malicious code into your device. This malicious code might have to communicate with different websites to download payload or steal your sensitive data. This will result in a sudden spike in data consumption.
Even though it can also occur due to adware, it will be more noticeable and easier to detect as it will result in your mobile browsing loading a website erratically. Monitor data usage by different apps and system processes and you can easily see which apps are consuming most of the data. Your mobile provider can also help you in tracking the data usage by sending you a monthly report.
3. Incorrect Password Message
You fire up your favorite social media app and try to log in to your account but receive an incorrect password error message. The first thought that might have come to your mind would be “Did I enter the right password?” You start questioning yourself and retype the same password just to get the same incorrect password message again.
Soon, you realize that someone has stolen or guessed your password. Cybercriminals can install a keylogger on your device by using a phishing attack. Hackers can easily change the password and make your account their own. This allows them to get full access to sensitive information associated with your account.
4. Suspicious Text Messages
Smishing is a type of phishing attack that uses text messages to convince people to open malicious links. Let’s say, you have fallen into the trap and clicked on the malicious link. You will be directed to a website that looks like a genuine website. You will be hard-pressed to find any difference between a real and fake website because they look so like genuine websites. You enter your login credentials and it will get stolen. Don’t open any links before checking where it is pointing by using a link-checking tool. Once you know that the link is safe, then you can proceed.
5. Extra App Permissions
Have you ever read the number of permissions you give to a mobile app? I can bet most of you just hit the allow button to grant unlimited permission without even reading what all these permissions are all about and how the app will use these permissions. Both Android and iOS let users manage permission for each app separately and security professionals advise users to go to permission settings and make sure that the app only has enough permissions to perform tasks smoothly. If an app asks for extra permissions, it should send alarm bells ringing in your head. Never grant extra permission to apps that it does not really need to perform tasks.
6. Poor Performance
One of the most common signs that your smartphone is hacked is lag and poor performance. Just like higher data and battery consumption, there could be various reasons for below-par performance. It could be due to sluggish processors, low free storage or heavy UI but none of this could impact today’s smartphones as they are more powerful than ever before. Just like you buy the best VPS to deliver a better user experience to users, you need to keep malware at bay to get better performance from your smartphone. You can install anti-malware programs to protect your device from malware infections.
7. Unusual Activity on Your Account
Are your relatives and friends complaining about inappropriate text messages from your number when you have not sent them? Are your friends complaining about inappropriate posts you are sharing on your social media accounts? If yes, then there are clear signs that your account credentials are in someone else's hands. Keep an eye out for such suspicious activity and change your password immediately. Even better, use two-factor authentication.
How do you keep your smartphone safe from data breaches? Let us know in the comments section below.
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