Category: Data Protection on your Device

Do not be deceived to think that your smartphone is protected from Hackers. Operating system platforms such as Android and iOS and other platforms do assure their customers that their data is protected from Hackers.

This is true, but at the same time you also need to know that the smarter your operating system becomes the smarter the hackers also become. The operating system has a role to play and you also have a role to play this article will enlighten you about the signs that could give an indication that your phone has been hacked.

It’s your duty to make sure that your data are protected by doing regular checks on your phone, mainly because the data on your phone are yours. You might think that all the data on your phone is 100 percent secured, but a wrong move on your side could even expose your phone to hackers.

To reduce the potential risk of your phone being hacked and also to prevent it from happening again, then let’s start with the things that you need to look out for to prevent any mishap.

Free Wi-Fi Spots

We all get excited when we find free Wi-Fi spots most especially at airports and restaurants. If you use any of this Wi-Fi It means that you could easily share your sensitive information with people around you. You will have to decide if it is worth the price of using a free unprotected Wi-Fi support in exchange for sensitive information that could lead to a stressful life.

Unknown USB

Are you aware that if you charge your phone with an unknown USB on an aeroplane or in a car you risk exposing your data? Which could be easily reviewed and transferred to order devices? Even though smart phones come with different security features, it’s always better to take precautions rather than doing damaged control.

Live Streaming

If your phone is live streaming without your knowledge, Hacker could easily access your device and reveal all the activities taking place on your phone by broadcasting everything over the internet. The two major ways to detect if this has been happening is if your phone is getting unusually hot and the battery is constantly down to the last juice within a short period of time.

Deceptive Apps

Some apps offer peace of mind such as helping parents to monitor their children’s activities, or helping business owners to monitor staff’s activities. Some of these apps could be legit, but some will also monitor user’s activities and gather information about them for marketing purposes. On the other hand, if a Hackers gain access to a device, all these people’s information will be at his fingertips.

If a hacker gain access to your smartphone he could take control over your phone within few minutes. This is usually done by installing such app as mobile tracker that will record incoming and outgoing phone calls, record your text messages, and these apps can also track your GPS location.

Do you know the signs to look out for to make sure that your phone has not been hacked? If your phone should be hacked will you be able to tell that your phone has actually been hacked? if you’re not sure what to do, then spend time reading this content because in this article I’m going to reveal some of the signs you need to watch out for to discover If your phone has been hacked.

Unauthorised Apps

Go to your phone now and check to see if you can identify unauthorised Apps running on your phone in the background. I’ve had this experience in the past whereby an unauthorised app was running on my iPad and I was not aware of it for a very long time. An authorised app on your phone can easily collect data about your operating and file system which could be used against you. So if you notice any unusual app installed, the app should be uninstalled straightaway.

Emails

You have to make sure that you are more careful when reading emails I have heard stories about people receiving email links reading them and then getting carried away and ended up clicking on the links which was a phishing link. This means taking control over their smart phones therefore you want to train yourself to detect the motive behind any email received.

Email shouldn’t be read in a hurry and they should not be read when you’re tired because you’re most likely going to act wrongly why you’re tired or in a rush. Do you know that if your phone gets hacked, the hacker could listen to your conversation and they could read your emails, text messages, and listen to your voice messages and the worst part is they could monitor your movement.

Legitimate apps

There are phone manufacturers and service providers who has the habit of installing apps on your phone you need to make sure that these apps are legit, although the point with these apps are mostly for marketing purposes But you can’t always be too sure so the best thing is to do your research about these apps. If you’re interested in these apps, try and find out if they’ve got a website in order to get more information about these apps. Visiting such website, you will find reviews left by other users, if there are no reviews this could be a red flag you’re better off uninstalling such app.

Problem with installed apps

Another thing to look out for is if your installed apps are not performing properly, for instance you try to open an installed app and you couldn’t or it closes straight away, it could mean that your smart phone has been hacked. If your phone has been hacked you might have to consult with your phone provider, in some cases to offer damaged control.

This article will explain how to detect that your phone might have been hacked. Smart phones are designed to be very smart, but I can tell you that in this day and age hackers are becoming smarter therefore you want to be careful to make sure that sensitive information on your smart phone are not exposed thereby causing you big problems or even giving you a heart attack.

Constant Automatic Reboot

If your phone constantly reboot itself then it could be a possibility that your phone has been hacked. If this is the case, then the question will be, what shall I do?  Well, you will have to take it to the mobile operator, they should fix it and tell you the cause in some cases it could be a technical fault which could mean getting a new smartphone.

Unfamiliar Apps

Do you notice any unfamiliar apps on your phone? If you do then you need to do more digging about such an app. It could be an app installed by the phone manufacturer or your service provider, find out and decide if it’s an app you want to keep.

Unfamiliar Numbers

The next thing to do is to go through your contact list and try and see if you can identify any unknown number. If the Hacker has access to your phone they could be using your phone to make expensive phone calls. You’ll be slapped with a huge bill, which is bad, but not as bad as discovering that all your data has been moved from your smart phone to another phone. The same thing goes for your text messages, you should go through your text messages and see if there’s an unusual text message that was sent from your phone just like the phone calls.

Spike in Mobile data usage

Another thing to look out for is the unusual usage of mobile data if this happens and you’re 100% sure that you’re not the one nor your family members using your data or your friends. It could mean that your phone might have been hacked. This means that you are going to get extra charges for data usage on your next bill.

Strange Voice.

If you hear a strange voice in the background whilst having a conversation on the phone, it could be a red flag. You need to first of all establish that it’s not a signal failure, if it’s not and this seems to be on going then you need to take further action by checking that nothing strange has happened to your phone by going through the points listed above. Strange voice could mean someone eavesdropping on your conversation.

Are you sure that your smart phone is secure from hackers? Do you know the signs to look out for that could indicate that your phone might have been hacked? I know that smart phones do offer promises of protection, but in as much as the phones are referred to as smartphones you also need to be aware that hackers are becoming smarter than smart phones.

Some of the signs that your phone might be compromised.

Pop Ups

A pop up on your phone is a red flag, especially the one that promises that you’ve won the lottery. You’re most likely going to lose control of your device if you click on the link embedded in these pop ups. An unauthorised access to your phone means access to all your data which could be costly. Therefore, it’s better not to be motivated by unnecessarily curiosity in other not to find yourself in hot water.

Text Messages

An unknown text message that promises that you are the winner of a price and instructs you to click on the link below. These links are mostly malware and clicking on such links might lead to loss of control of your phone. A lot of people have fallen for this trick because it’s so easy to get carried away because of a message that says congratulations, you’ve won a prize. Watch out because the last thing you want is for someone to be in possession of your smartphone which automatically means access to your data.

Email Configuration

If hackers take over your phone they could change your email configuration and even access your server. One of the things to do from time to time is to go through your emails and unsubscribe to emails that you don’t really need, this helps to clear up junk mail that are sitting in your box. It’s much easier to monitor your mail if you have less. Dealing with too many emails could lead to accidentally clicking on a phishing link that could allow a hacker to gain access to your phone.

Poor Connection

A poor connection is an indication that an unauthorised individual might have access to your phone. You need to establish that this is not just a signal failure by switching your phone off and turning it back on, if problems persist, then call  your provider to confirm that there is no disruption to your line.  It’s very important that you act swiftly because any single delay could mean that the Hacker will have access to sensitive information which could create serious problems for you, so if you find yourself in this situation this is not the time to procrastinate but the time to act and act quickly the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.