Common ways hackers attack mobile users

Mobile phones in general and smartphones in particular are considered a breakthrough of a new technological era. Although manufacturers have applied advanced security solutions to help them stay safe from attacks, in reality, security holes are still unavoidable.

Despite the promise of robust security, smartphones remain vulnerable to hackers due to unintentional mistakes by users. With the growing reliance on smartphones, understanding potential threats is paramount for mobile users.

Here are five common attacks that hackers use to break into users' mobile phones.

1. Non-technical attacks

Social engineering is a form of attack in which the attacker directly impacts human psychology (social skills) to steal information and data of individuals and organizations. The attacker can impersonate employees, technicians, police, or researchers... and ask users to provide authentication information to perform a certain task. The hacker group will ask questions to collect information from users. If they cannot collect enough information from one source, they can contact another source in the same organization and rely on previously stolen information to increase reliability.

The path of least resistance for most hackers is to exploit the vulnerabilities of mobile users. Although mobile operating systems (Android or iOS) are designed with advanced security protocols compared to PC operating systems, they are still not immune to hackers.

The types of information hackers are looking for can vary, but when individuals are targeted, criminals typically try to trick users into giving them passwords or banking information, or gain access to the computer to secretly install malware, which will give hackers access to passwords and banking information as well as give them control of the user's computer.

Hackers can use various scams and exploit psychological weaknesses such as gullibility, greed, etc. of people. Reality has shown that the success rate of this attack method is many times higher than direct attacks on technical systems.

2. Using spyware

Spyware is a general term for malicious code that collects information, steals data and any valuable information on both computers and smartphones, typically cryptocurrency data or account login information.

Spyware usually infects devices by installing a malicious application disguised as a normal application. In particular, these types of software can also collect content on application platforms such as Skype, WhatsApp or Facebook, and allow hackers to control and take control of the device remotely.

Some warning signs that spyware is monitoring the user's smartphone activities include the device randomly shutting down and restarting; unexplained battery drain; applications frequently freezing or stopping; unusual ads and sounds appearing on the phone; automatically receiving and sending data when there is an Internet connection; applications automatically installing.

In addition, when mobile phones appear messages or emails with strange addresses are also warning signs of spyware attacks. Users should delete them without clicking on links or downloading any files, the same should be done with SMS messages.

In addition, when users find that their mobile phones are running slower and slower, they may have been infected with spyware. Spyware often runs in the background as background processes. If these applications have penetrated into the system, they will take up a lot of system resources (CPU, RAM, etc.) to run background processes and monitor users, which can lead to overheating of the device. Therefore, if you notice that your device is often running very slowly, even though you have removed a few applications that take up a lot of space but it still does not improve, this may be a sign that your device has been infected with spyware.

3. Using malware

Malware is a term used to describe malicious programs or code that can interfere with the normal functioning of a system by infiltrating, controlling, damaging or disabling network systems, computers, tablets and mobile devices, etc.

Hackers trick users into downloading malware by disguising malicious apps as free apps that users need. Once a mobile phone is infected with malware, it allows intruders easy access to users' sensitive information.

Research conducted by security firm Check Point Software revealed that the malware generates more than 50,000 fraudulent apps daily, displays 20 million harmful ads, and generates more than $300,000 in monthly revenue.

When a mobile phone is infected with malware, users may notice signs such as the mobile phone running slowly; the operating system processing speed is reduced; frequently being bothered by adware; abnormally reduced memory capacity; unexplained increase in data capacity.

4. Identity fraud

Pretexting is the use of a fake identity to make others believe that you are a trustworthy person or organization and request information or action from them. The hacker focuses on creating a plausible reason, or a pre-calculated scenario, to steal the victim's personal information. These types of attacks are often presented as a scam that requires the user to provide certain information to confirm their identity.

Simply put, Pretexting is a form of impersonating another person, usually a police officer or reporter, to get information from the subject to be exploited, mostly through telecommunications services. This trick is used by detectives, investigators and even criminals to access sources of personal information directly over the phone.

For more advanced attacks, hackers will attempt to manipulate targets to exploit structural weaknesses in an organization or company. For example, a hacker impersonates an external IT services auditor with plausible arguments that convince security personnel to physically allow the hacker to enter the company's premises.

Unlike phishing emails that exploit the fear and urgency of their victims, pretexting attacks rely on building a sense of trust with the target. Armed with enough personal information, hackers can perform a SIM swap, redirecting all important calls, texts, and authentication codes to the cybercriminal's device.

5. Wi-Fi network intrusion

For those who regularly use mobile phones, public Wi-Fi brings many benefits such as free use and no interruption to work, however, this is also a place with many potential risks.

Cybercriminals can use tools and cyber attack models on public Wi-Fi systems that devices connect to, to collect users' personal information such as online banking account information, financial service information, for the purpose of stealing money, blackmailing in exchange of personal data.

In addition, cybercriminals can also create fake Wi-Fi access points and once users log into the Wi-Fi network they create, they will capture all the information and data the users send.

If you are not careful and connect to that Wi-Fi network, it will record everything, from the details you enter such as your bank password, to other sensitive data, etc.

To avoid danger from public Wi-Fi networks, users should choose networks that they know clearly about the origin of a specific company or hotel. They should not connect to strange Wi-Fi networks without password protection, even if the network has better transmission quality than the one they usually use.

Users should always pay attention to only use Wi-Fi networks that have security protocols to protect wireless networks (WPA or WPA2) to ensure safety. Although the problem of passwords with hackers is not too difficult, it is still definitely safer than an unprotected public Wi-Fi network.

In short, in today's era, smartphones are essential but also pose many security risks. Therefore, users must regularly update software, be wary of suspicious links or requests, and regularly check application access rights to protect our smartphones.