Our mobile phones are dear to us, and more so than ever. They hold our contacts, our banking apps, our identities, our memories, our customisations and more. Losing a phone can be quite a harrowing experience but it could be worse. What if your phone was hacked, and you did not even know for weeks, months, even years. All your data may have been stolen; you might have been snooped on. There really would not be a way to know this. In this feature, we look at ways in which your mobile phone maybe compromised, in person, or remotely or just infected by malicious apps. We also recommend ways to stop this or reduce the chances and ways of keeping your data secure.
Clicking around random web sites
One of the easiest ways to get hacked or have bad luck come your way, is like how your laptop or PC might get infected by malicious software or scripts – by accessing shady, suspicious sites. Avoid visiting sites that might seem malicious in nature, with a ton of popups. Another threat is from web sites cloaking themselves to be authentic, so pay close attention to the web site address. Hackers can use such fake web sites that mimic the look of legit sites to grab usernames and passwords, for example of banking and other financial institutions. You might enter those details, and just see an error but in the background, you have already entered the details conveniently into someone’s hands.
Accepting links sent on SMS’, messaging apps
Social media and messaging apps can also fall prey to scammers who might spam requests, in the form of web links or transactions requests. Only accept links from people you know, but also be aware that your contacts whose devices might be compromised, and their devices may spam links to infect others, or to demand money.
Using public Wi-Fi networks
Using public networks can be a risky ordeal, especially since all your network traffic passes through the public router. Others connected to the same network, can use tools to snoop, and capture data packets over the network. Even the service provider could be compromised. Depending on the app, the data being sent and received may not be encrypted and can be read with little ease. Using a VPN can be an easy solution around this. That way, data is encrypted on your device’s end, and sent in that manner to a remote VPN server, after which it exits to the internet. Anyone on the public network cannot read the data being transmitted.
Sharing your hotspot in public spaces
Another risk is using your phone as a hotspot for other devices in crowded, public places. If you need to use it, ensure you setup complex passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. Using long passwords, a mix of alphanumerical characters and special characters is the way to go. Without a complex password, those trying to access your hotspot might be able to brute-force their way in. There are plenty of tools to do that. Once access is granted, they could sabotage your device, or access other devices that may be connected to the hotspot. A similar risk crops up when you keep your mobile phone’s Bluetooth turned on all the time, especially with it as discoverable.
Installing apps from unknown sources
Many of us have the habit of installing apps from third-party sites. Some of the sites may have been compromised, and installers shared on messaging apps may include tracking, data collection and worse. As much as possible, use the official app stores for your device or if you choose a third-party one, make sure the apps on it are open-source and published by the developer, to reduce the risk of foul play.
Spotting malware affecting your device’s performance
Having your phone hacked or infected with malware can have several adverse effects. Some malware can slow down your phone quite a bit, consume a lot of battery, forcing the device to run hot all the time. Some apps may also try to bombard others with malware, increase bandwidth consumption, and worse. Keep an eye for such signs to know if you need to take a closer look at the apps installed on your device.
Malware listening to conversations
One of the ways a scammer can keep an eye on you is by installing malware that monitors all your data, even chat conversations and calls that you might make. Phones have functioning microphones that can be tapped and monitored. This means, you could be talking to someone in person, but your conversations recorded or transmitted to a remote party without your knowledge. Other loopholes are with the camera, even the GPS sending back your location in real time.
Using unlocked and rooted devices
Some of us might unlock our phones and root them to access advanced features on our mobile phones but if you’re not careful, it can open the doors for hackers to be able to easily access the device, even remotely install scripts and applications without your knowledge.
Ransomware installed on your device
One of the recent methods used by scammers is ransomware. Ransomware controls your phone or PC/laptop, and locks down the data, blocking access to it. The scammer will contact you, demanding money in exchange for your data. One must remember that paying the scammer may not necessarily ensure safe recovery of the locked data, and that the scammer may have already accessed and copied your data on their own devices. The scammer can also delete the data despite you paying them. One of the simplest ways to know if something is wrong is if you spot random popups, apps launching without notice, messages being sent to others without your knowledge, and more. It’s also a good idea to keep backups of your entire phone on other devices, so in case you fall prey to ransomware, you may be able to simply reset and format your device, then restore the backup.
Most recent phones offer the latest security updates. Google has also proactively enabled security updates for devices, regardless of the vendor. One of the ways to stay safe is keep your mobile phone up to date.
Those were just some of the ways your mobile phone can be hacked, or infected with malware. Hopefully, you can avoid them and use our suggestions to keep your mobile phone safe. Also, if you want to know more about securing your mobile phones and other devices, keep checking out this space here at reliancedigital.in. You can find the latest in technology trends, buying guides and how to make the most of technology you already own.
