Today’s smartphones are powerful computers that allow us to perform tasks that only a generation ago would have literally been considered science fiction. Our portable devices also often contain a significant amount of personal and confidential information, including the contents of our text and email communications, as well as direct access to several of our social media and other accounts via pre-logged-in apps. It is imperative; therefore, that we keep our smartphones safe from hackers, and take immediate corrective action if we discover that any of our phones has been breached.
If you think that your phone is your own private zone, you may be very wrong. So far, there is no such device that can't be hacked.
To reduce the potential risks, Ajakai ICT decided to figure out 15 clear signs that your phone was hacked.
So, how can you know that your smartphone was compromised, and that you need to take immediate, corrective action?
1. New apps are installed on your device and you didn’t install them
Finding new apps on your phone that you did not install yourself. To identify these kinds of applications, research about their reviews and if they have bad reviews, uninstall them. Also, if you notice an application that was not pre-installed by the manufacturer or you did not install, uninstall them.
2. Websites appear somewhat different than before
If someone has installed malware that is “proxying” on your device — that is, sitting between your browser and the Internet and relaying the communications between them (while reading all of the contents of the communications and, perhaps, inserting various instructions of its own) — it might affect how some sites display.
3. Some apps stop working properly
If apps that used to work properly suddenly stop working, that may also be a sign of proxying or other malware interfering with the apps’ functionality. Of course, if such a problem develops immediately after you perform an operating system update, the update is a far more likely culprit than malware.
4. Short battery life
Hackers sometimes install applications that run in the background. These applications might lead to short battery life. Apps running in the background may drain the power of your phone leading to short battery life. Checking running apps and clearing cashed data may be of assistance in case you notice unusual activity.
5. Slow operating speed
A sudden decline in the phone operation speed for example booting slower than usual might signify a hacked phone. Installed malware might strain your phone by running in the background thus performing slower on normal tasks. Noticing this should not be mistaken for aging but should also be an eyebrow raiser to suspicious activity. The malware secretly transfers data from your phone thus affecting its speed.
6. Phone gets warm even without use.
When your phone gets warm, this is a pointer that it is being overworked. If you are not the one running the application; this means that an application is running in the background and overworking the phone.
7. Unknown phone numbers appearing in your recent calls.
New phone numbers might appear in your recent call logs. These calls will cost you as hackers use your phone as a proxy to make expensive international calls. Hackers can also use you phone to call companies which charge these expensive calls.
8. Phone rebooting itself
Other abnormal activity such as Phone rebooting itself or dialling app numbers or opening applications can be a sign your phone is trying to fight off viruses or hackers thus leading to the abnormal activity.
9. Your phone is sending strange messages.
If your friends complain that they are receiving messages and you did not send those messages, there is a possibility that you have been hacked. Also, watch out for strange text messages in your inbox or email.
10. Mobile data usage increase.
If you observe an abnormal increase in data usage, some apps maybe using this data bandwidth to perform other activities apart from the normal activities. To identify these applications, track application data usage to identify the one that drains data from your phone and track down their activities.
11. Unexpected pop ups
Pop ups are appearing randomly, these include gambling games like spin the wheel to win. Do not follow these instructions as they will expose you to more harm.
12. Your cell-phone bill shows unexpected charges
Criminals can exploit an infected device to make expensive overseas phone calls on behalf of a remote party proxying through your device, can send SMS messages to international numbers, and can ring up various other charges in other ways.
13. Your email from the device is getting blocked by spam filters
If email sent from your device is suddenly getting blocked by spam filters it could be a sign that your email configuration has been changed and email is now being relayed via some unauthorized server that is allowing a nefarious party to read your messages.
14. Your device is attempting to access “bad” sites
If you use your device on a network that blocks access to known problematic sites and networks (many businesses have such technology on both their corporate and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) networks) and you find out that it was trying to access such sites without your knowledge, your device may be infected.
15. You are experiencing unusual service disruptions
If you experience calls being dropped, the inability to make calls at times when you appear to have good signal strength, or strange noises occurring during your phone conversations, something may be amiss. Normally, these problems are indicative of technical issues unrelated to a breach, but that is not always the case. So, if you noticed these symptoms shortly after you took some action that you now question or regret, you may wish to consider whether you need to take corrective action.
So what should you do if you suspect your device was hacked?
If you suspect that your phone is infected, run mobile anti-malware software (preferably run more than one vendor’s offering) and remove any apps that you do not recognize. If possible, wipe the device, restore factory settings, and reinstall apps from trusted appstores. Obviously, use Internet security software on your device going forward. If you are concerned that the device has been rooted by malware, show it to a professional.
