Smartphones have revolutionized our personal and business lives. We socialize on phones, take endless photos, use them to close deals, find restaurants, organize our schedules, and deposit checks. But all that power and flexibility brings inherent risks. Protect yourself by recognizing the signs that indicate your phone has been hacked.
Individuals can gain access to your phone and its data in a variety of ways. Understanding their methods will help you keep bad actors out. For instance, hackers may access your phone by:
A hacked phone will often provide some signs of compromise. Keep an eye out for unusual activity, such as odd popups that may include flashing ads or pornographic images. Higher than expected data usage, a quickly draining battery or slow processing times may also indicate an intrusion.
Additionally, take the precaution of periodically checking for unfamiliar calls or texts made from your number. This could indicate that a thief has hijacked your number. Likewise, unfamiliar apps on your phone suggest malware.
If you suspect that someone has hacked your phone, immediately change your passcode, as well as passwords on your online accounts. Next, take an inventory of all the apps on your phone, deleting any suspicious apps. Keep in mind that malicious apps may have names that make them look like a calculator or something equally innocuous.
Run anti-malware software. In fact, make a note to run it regularly from now on. Tell your friends and family to ignore suspicious messages that appear to come from your number. And keep an eye out for fraudulent credit card purchases or unusual activity in your bank account. You will need to take extra caution to protect against identity theft.
As a last resort, you can also run a factory reset on your phone. However, be aware that this will wipe out any data stored on your phone, including photos, messages, and notes.
In an increasingly mobile business world, smartphones represent possible access points into critical business networks. Businesses should practice mobile security best practices. Begin by implementing mobile device management and educating employees about phone hacking.
The cybersecurity professionals at eMazzanti will help you build mobile security into a comprehensive security strategy. Call today for a free cybersecurity assessment.
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