How to know if your mobile phone is hacked?

Nowadays, most people rely heavily on their mobile phones. According to the German market research company Statista, three-quarters of mobile phone users worldwide use them to chat or send messages, three-fifths use them to conduct banking transactions, and nearly half use them for navigation.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center (USA) shows that 15% of adults in the US use the Internet via mobile phones because they do not have access to broadband service at home. Thus, if something happens to their mobile phones or their mobile phones are illegally hacked, their lives can be turned upside down and even their bank accounts can be emptied by hackers.

Here's how to tell if your phone has been hacked, how to avoid it, and what to do if the worst happens.

Ways cybercriminals often use to illegally hack into users' phones

Cybercriminals have a variety of ways to take control of or steal information from a victim's mobile phone. All types of phones, whether iPhone or Android, are vulnerable, although Apple iPhones are generally considered more secure due to tighter security controls.

There are a number of different techniques that hackers commonly use to gain unauthorized access to a user’s mobile phone. One of the most common is to trick the user into clicking on a malicious link or downloading software from a fake app store or social engineering, where hackers use fake emails (phishing) to trick the user.

Additionally, hackers can also use fake public Wi-Fi networks to trick users into connecting to them in order to gain control of the phone. Another attack technique involves SIM swapping, where hackers convince the victim's mobile service provider to transfer their SIM to another device under their control.

Additionally, a USB cable or charging cable infected with malware could also give an attacker access to a user's mobile device. And once an attacker figures out how to get in, the user's data could be exposed, especially if the password has been reused in multiple places.

How to know if your phone is hacked?

Usually, mobile phone users suspect that their phone has been hacked after detecting one or more signs such as fast battery drain, abnormal increase in mobile data usage, strange applications appearing, etc.

1. Check phone battery

A common sign that your cell phone may have been hacked is a rapid battery drain. This can also cause the phone to overheat. If you suddenly notice a significant change in battery life, this could be a sign that your phone has been hacked.

2. Check your phone bill

Another sign that your phone has been hacked is a higher-than-usual phone bill due to unauthorized activity on your phone. A sudden increase in bandwidth usage could be a sign that your phone is sending unwanted communications.

3. Check the app on your phone

If your phone is compromised, new apps may appear unexpectedly, existing apps may take a long time to load, and apps may open or close on their own. Be alert for suspicious behavior.

4. Recognize malicious notifications and settings

Sometimes, unexpected notifications, unsolicited two-factor authentication codes, or pop-ups may start appearing, and settings like camera or microphone permissions may change.

5. Check your account

The biggest warning sign is when you suddenly get locked out of your Apple ID or Google or other online accounts.

6. Run antivirus software

Installing and running reputable security software will help you know for sure whether your phone has actually been compromised. Find and remove any malware or spyware that may have infected your phone using popular packages available from antivirus vendors such as Bitdefender, Norton, Kaspersky, AVG or McAfee.

Delete any suspicious apps, restart your mobile phone and then run your antivirus software again to make sure your phone is really safe.

What should you do if your phone is hacked?

If you discover that your mobile phone has been compromised, it is essential to take some important steps immediately to prevent the attacker from causing further damage.

1. Contact financial institutions

The first action is to contact your bank, credit card issuer, and other financial institutions to ensure your accounts have not been accessed without authorization.

2. Change password

The next and most important step is to change all passwords immediately, the new passwords must be strong enough. This should be done for all applications and websites connected to the compromised phone.

3. Remove suspicious apps

Check all the apps on your mobile phone and delete any suspicious or unknown apps. Restart your phone and check again to make sure the deletion was successful.

4. Restore phone to factory settings (if necessary)

If you have too many pop-up ads and malicious apps on your mobile phone and you have tried many different ways but they have not worked, then you can restore the phone to its factory settings. However, this means that you will lose all the data stored on the device, so this is considered the last resort.

5. Notify your friends

One thing to do is to notify your friends and other contacts that your phone has been hacked and warn them to ignore and delete any messages that appear to come from your phone.

How to protect your phone from future hacking?

Regardless of whether you've been hacked or not, the following basic cybersecurity measures will help you keep your mobile phone safe from future attackers.

1. Install and update anti-virus software

The first and simplest thing is that you should install an anti-virus software from a reputable security company and update it regularly.

Installing and updating antivirus software is also an important way to protect your mobile phone from security threats. Antivirus software can help detect and remove malware, viruses, and other security threats from your device.

2. Update software regularly

Regularly updating your mobile phone's software is one of the most important ways to protect your device from security threats. Software updates often include patches for known security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to gain access to your device, steal your data, or install malware.

Updating your mobile phone software regularly is a simple and effective way to help protect your device from security threats. Take a few minutes each month to check for updates and install any available updates.

3. Use strong passwords

Mobile phones contain a lot of personal information and important data, so it is essential to protect them with strong passwords. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack. Use a password of at least 12 characters, including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

4. Be careful with Wi-Fi and public charging

Public Wi-Fi and charging stations can be useful when you're on the go, but they also pose security risks. In particular, you shouldn't bank online, shop online, or enter other personal information when using public Wi-Fi.

Additionally, bad guys can create fake Wi-Fi networks to trick you into connecting and steal your data. Make sure you are connecting to a legitimate Wi-Fi network. Also, using public chargers is risky because bad guys can install malware on USB charging stations to steal data from your device. Only use USB charging stations from trusted sources.

5. Use additional security measures

In addition to using strong passwords and being careful when using public Wi-Fi and charging, you can take some additional measures to protect your mobile phone such as encrypting your phone, locking your SIM card and using a virtual private network (VPN), making using public Wi-Fi safer.

6. Be careful with third-party app stores

Third-party app stores are app stores that are not provided by your mobile device manufacturer. These app stores may offer apps that are not available on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, but they also pose security risks. Always download apps from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to stay safe.