How do you know your phone has been hacked?

Today, the smartphone has become the center of life, making it the ideal target for anyone who wants to steal your identity or defraud you financially. So keep an eye out for signs that your phone has been hacked.

In an article published by the American magazine “Reader’s Digest”, the writer Joe McKinley mentioned the signs that a smartphone has been hacked. “Understanding the signs that your phone is being hacked begins with understanding the set of data on your device, especially since your phone and computer are the two main communication devices you use on a daily basis,” says George Waller, CEO of Blocksafe Technologies.

These are the main signs that your phone has been hacked:

1- A significant increase in the use of Internet data
Using an app like Data Usage to see how much internet data your device has released, then looking for anomalies or long load times helps you know when that usage is unexplained, which is an indication that the monitoring software it is installed on your phone.

2- Your phone’s battery drains quickly
The most obvious sign that your phone has been hacked is that it runs out of battery very quickly. Spyware runs in the background all the time, which means it consumes power and drains your battery. And if your phone is constantly losing power, it may have been hacked.

3- Your phone is overheating
Overheating of the phone, even when not in use, is a possible sign that internet data is being consumed faster than usual. And if someone notices that you are exceeding your data consumption limits, it is possible that someone is spying on your private sessions.

4- New applications appear on your phone screen
Hacked users can discover new and unknown applications in the Applications menu or in Settings, which requires you to always check running applications. And in case something seems to be working out of the ordinary, check if one of the apps that drains your battery contains malware.

5- Your phone is transmitting the video on its own
Having a user’s phone stream the live video on its own is one of the ways hackers use to monitor and eavesdrop on their activities. The user may be aware of this if their phone is constantly running or their battery is quickly draining, so they should check internet consumption and consider if there is an increase in internet data consumption.

6- Double the performance of your smartphone
If you experience delays in sending and receiving text messages and performing other tasks with your phone, this could be a sign that your phone has been hacked. It is very difficult to get an idea of ​​these things, but we must pay due attention to these subtleties.

7- Your phone makes calls and sends messages without your knowledge
A person whose phone has been hacked may notice a series of calls and messages that they did not make in their contact list. In this case, you should monitor this activity closely because some of the numbers you will find may be evidence of who has hacked your phone.

8- Many annoying pop-ups appear
The appearance of annoying pop-ups and strange screen savers; Evidence that your phone is at risk of being hacked. While most of these windows may not indicate that your phone has been compromised, some of them may be evidence that it has been infected with a type of malware known as “adware,” which forces phones to display certain advertisements in order to generate revenue by clicking on users. in them.

9- Receive messages related to information security
If your phone has been hacked, you may observe some unusual activity, such as receiving information security related messages informing you that your email or social media account has been accessed using a new device, links to reset the password or verification messages that you I have signed up for unauthorized accounts. You know her. “

10- There is an abnormal noise in the background of the phone.
Noise, buzzing, and other strange sounds can be a sign that someone is eavesdropping on your line. Although all phones can make strange noises from time to time, you should check for other signals.

11- Not being able to turn off your phone
If you notice something strange happening to your mobile phone, try turning it off and observe your device’s reaction to the shutdown process. In fact, hacked phones don’t lock properly and may not lock at all even when you try to.

12- Block your emails
You may find that your official emails are being blocked by “spam filters” because your messages appear to be coming from suspicious sources.

Three steps to follow if you suspect that your device has been hacked:

Matt Wilson, Senior Information Security Advisor at BTP Security advises the following steps:

Change important passwords: The importance of this point is to avoid changing the password using the device that you suspect has been hacked, as in this way you will have revealed the new password to the hackers.

Adopt a multi-factor authentication mechanism: Everyone should do this whenever possible to prevent their device from being hacked. Many popular applications and services, such as Facebook, Google and the applications of major banks, allow this mechanism to be activated. This method may not work when your device is at risk, but it helps reduce the chance of your device being hacked.

Restore your device: This can be challenging, but today it is much easier than ever. This process depends on your device, as both Apple and Google provide clear and easy-to-apply instructions for creating a backup.

Source: websites