It’s scary how much information we have on smartphones. Banking details, emails, work credentials, pictures, texts, and copies of important documents stay on these small devices we carry everywhere we go.
Since a phone often is a master key to a person’s entire life, criminals are highly interested in it. Hackers will do anything to install malware on it and steal money and data. Even the people you know could install spyware to check up on you. When you’re battling invisible enemies and realizing that your phone has been hacked may take time, it’s critical to know how to protect it from the very beginning. Here are some steps you can follow to find out who hacked your phone.
Check Your Apps
You check your phone all the time. It’s easy to spot an app you’ve never used that’s popped up on your home screen. Seeing a new, suspicious app is a sign that you need to go into research mode.
Search for it online and read the reviews. See if there are any mentions of suspicious activity, phone heat-up cases, or plain hacking scenarios.
Have you ever heard of invisible apps? Hackers invented this type of malware to evade detection, so you need to run a scan through your App Drawer. If something unusual shows up, delete it. Cybercriminals use the spray-and-pray method to target victims, so finding out how it got on your phone will be an impossible mission.
But if your phone is laced with spyware (a virus that’s used for spying on you), you can definitely figure out who the culprit is. The app doesn’t store any information on the hacker, but there is one clue you can follow. For someone to install spyware on your phone, they need to have physical access to it at least for a short while.
Remember situations when you lent your phone to a friend or spouse, somebody who peeked at your password, or when an employer asked for remote access to your device. Create a list of suspects and see whether they would benefit from spying on you.
Check Your Online Activity
If you want to know why some things are happening in the present, you only need to take a peek at the past. Your browser history is filled with everything you clicked on. Hackers typically send phishing emails aimed to lure you in emotionally.
Let’s say you’ve ordered a course on how to make money through email (this is a common scam). After paying a few hundred dollars for it and downloading it on your phone to watch online, you may have also installed a virus. That’s how easy it is.
Scammers use emotional words and stories, and phishing attacks range from pretending to be legitimate companies to downright lies about helping cure cancer. These types of messages have urgent offers, and they force you to click on a link.
Check Your Calls
Hackers can record your voice and use AI to replicate it. If you’ve answered a suspicious call asking you to participate in a short survey, the caller could have been a hacker in disguise. This happens randomly, so you may not even know who did it. However, these scammers will possibly target your friends and family. They can make AI read messages in your voice and ask for money from the people closest to you. If something like that happens, contact law enforcement immediately.
Check Your Bill
If your phone bill spikes, and you haven’t changed who you’re calling or texting, there’s a chance you’ve got malware on your phone. There’s no way to see who did it and how, but they’re making money off you by sending premium texts or calls.
Call your provider and tell them about the situation, and they’ll block the numbers draining your credit card.
Install an antivirus and check your apps to see if you can get rid of the malware.You can also perform a fabric reset.
Tips to Make Your Phone More Secure
Keeping your phone safe is easy. All you need to do is follow a few cybersecurity practices, and you’ll be safe. Here are a few tips to make your phone more secure:
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi
- Don’t download sketchy apps
- Don’t jailbreak your phone
- Use 2FA on everything
- Update your apps regularly
- Use strong passwords
- Install a VPN and antivirus
- Enable Find My Phone options
- Don’t let others see your passcode
Finally, remember to stay vigilant. Mobile security is critical if you’ve got loads of personal data on your device. Make sure you take the necessary precautions today because postponing it may lead to devastating consequences.