Mobile Phone hacking can cause you to lose your identity and privacy. Hackers are constantly improving their hacking techniques, making it harder to detect fraudsters.
Smartphones have made it easy to access all of our data and private accounts from one convenient place, making them a perfect target for hackers. Your phone is connected to everything, including your bank account, email address, and social media accounts. This means that if a criminal gains access to your phone, all of your sensitive data can be compromised.
This article will cover the following topics
What is Phone Hacking?
Phone hacking is any technique that allows someone to gain access to your phone and its communications. These can include advanced security breaches or simply listening in on insecure internet connections, physical theft of your phone, or forcibly hacking it using methods such as brute-force. All types of phones can be hacked, including iPhones and Androids. We recommend that everyone learns how to spot a compromised phone.
Signs your phone may be hacked
These could indicate that someone has hacked your phone.
- Your phone’s battery drains quickly. Fraudulent apps and malware can use malicious code to drain your phone’s power.
- Your phone is running abnormally slow. The hacker might have all of the phone’s processing power available to him. Your phone might slow down to a crawl. Sometimes, these symptoms include unexpected crashes, freezing, or sudden restarts.
- You notice unusual activity in your online accounts. Hackers will attempt to access your accounts. You can check your email and social media for unusual login locations, password reset prompts, or new account signup verifications.
- Unusual calls and texts are appearing in your logs. An SMS trojan could be tapping your phone. They could also be pretending to be you in order to steal your personal information. Be aware that either of these methods can leave breadcrumbs, just like outgoing messages.
Ways your phone can be hacked.
Phishing – Hackers use phishing to impersonate companies or trusted individuals in order to gain confidential information. This is done by hackers sending messages and codes that look official containing malicious URLs that can hack your phone if you click on them.
Wiretapping through SS7 – The Signalling System 7 (SS7) protocol, which connects all major mobile networks worldwide and allows for services such as roaming and call forwarding, is almost 50 years old. It’s a little rusty and has poor security. Hacking into it makes it possible for attackers to track any mobile phone worldwide and intercept calls and texts. They only need the associated phone number.
It is impossible to stop this type of attack. Your device can be tracked if you are a target of someone who can hack SS7, which could include anyone from governments to petty cybercriminals. You can, however, ensure that your communications remain secure by using encryption apps.
Infecting phone with Malware or Spyware – All information on your phone is available to the apps. These include your browsing history, saved logins, and your location. Even if these are encrypted, keylogger spyware apps can still access them by watching what you type before it is encrypted.
The most common delivery mechanism tricks you into downloading software usually hosted on some shady domains or stores.
Targeting phones using free unsecured public WiFi – Unencrypted traffic is visible to anyone who manages a network. This holds true for WiFi just as much as for mobile operators. While a carrier is an authorized company that operates its network under certain regulations, anyone can set up a WiFi hotspot.
A free service that you set up next to a cafe and name it with the establishment’s title is a great way to get unsuspecting customers connected. Once they have connected, an attacker can view all unencrypted messages and emails that pass through it. This is why you should encrypt all web traffic and communications or avoid free WiFi whenever possible.
Data extraction through USB charger – Most smartphones’ USB chargers can charge the battery and transmit data to and from a computer. This can be used to save and load files onto the device, but it can also be an attack vector.
Many Android versions automatically mount the hard drive when the cable is connected. This can be used to upload spyware or malware automatically. Don’t charge your phone on public computers or devices you don’t trust. It is best to plug your phone into a wall socket.
What can you do if your phone has been hacked?
Now you know how to detect if someone hacks your phone. You’re now ready to fight back. Here are some ways to get rid of cybercriminals from your phone.
It would be best if you first got rid of any malware that has infiltrated your phone. Once you have rooted out the data breach, you can begin protecting your accounts and keeping hackers away from your phone.
They could include:
- Online banking
- Email (personal and work)
- Apple ID or Google Account
- Phone passcode
- All social media
Follow up with online or financial shopping services (such as Amazon and eBay) that may have saved your bank details or credit cards. This will allow you to identify fraudulent transactions and help you dispute them with your bank.
How can you prevent your phone from being hacked?
As more personal information becomes digitized and mobile-connected, phone hacking security has become an increasingly important issue. You will need to be vigilant as security methods change constantly.
It is important to be mindful of your digital habits. Fortunately, there are several proven hacker-proof practices, such as
Avoid downloading unreliable or sketchy apps. If you are not sure, read reviews and do some research before installing. Do not install the app if you are not sure about its safety.
Do not jailbreak your phone. Although it allows you to access unofficial app stores, jailbreaking increases your chance of being hacked. This means that you will not receive security patches for the most recent OS updates. To keep jailbreaks functional, jailbreakers skip updating. Your chances of hacking are higher than usual.
Always keep your phone close at hand. Hackers can use physical access to steal your phone. Your phone could be hacked by a simple theft or a single day’s effort. Hackers will need to work harder to gain access to your phone if you have it with you.
Use a passcode lock, and be sure to use complex passwords. Avoid using PINs that are easy to guess, such as birthdays or graduation dates. If you have an extended passcode, use it. For example, use one with six characters. Never reuse the same password in multiple places.
Do not store passwords on your device. It can be hard to remember unique passwords for each account. Instead, use a secure password manager. These services enable you to store all of your secure credentials in an electronic vault, giving you easy access as well as the security you require.
Clear your internet history frequently. It is easy to identify trends in your life using the breadcrumbs from your browser history. Clear everything, cookies and cache included.
Allow a lost device tracking system to be activated. To track your device’s current location, you can use a “lost device finder” tool. While some phones already have this function, others might need to use a third-party application.
Make sure all your apps are up-to-date. Hackers can exploit even trusted apps. Updates include bug fixes that protect you against known risks. This applies to your OS as well, so make sure you update your phone whenever possible.
Enable two-factor authentication ( 2FA) whenever you attempt to log in. 2FA requires you to have a second private account. Apple ID and Google accounts provide 2FA for devices that unscrupulous actors are using. Always activate it to increase security. Biometrics such as fingerprints and facial IDs are increasingly popular. When physical USB keys are available, they can also be a great option.
Use text and email as your 2FA. However, they are not better than no protection. Hacks such as SIM swapping could make it interceptable.
Avoid using public WiFi networks without a VPN. If you must make sure you are using apps that encrypt all data.
Conclusion
Hacking is not something that can be easily fixed. Computers have been susceptible to hacking since their inception, but now your phone is the preferred target for criminals. You can protect yourself by anticipating potential threats and taking steps to mitigate them.
Hope you liked this article on How Cyber Attackers Can Hack Your Mobile Device? – 2021
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