How To Make Sure Your Smartphone Has Not Been Hacked

Hearing about Cyber-crimes around the world has made one thing clear to us: No One Is Immune To Hacking Attacks. No matter how awesome a phone’s security system is, the interface is almost always prone to alien interference. Here’s How To Make Sure Your Smartphone Has Not Been Hacked. Get protecting yourself!

When it comes to protecting yourself against hackers, step one is always to install software updates as soon as they become available: that’s as true on smartphones as it is on computers.

Yes, updating can be a tiresome and intrusive process, and it sometimes brings annoying changes to the interface that you’re used to. We get it

We advise against using unofficial tools to “root” your phone (known as “jailbreaking” on iOS), unless you know exactly what you’re doing. On a rooted phone, technical safeguards can be defeated, allowing apps to perform all sorts of actions that are normally prohibited – and that can include breach of your personal data.

Really.

Install What’s Verified | Make Sure Your Smartphone Has Not Been Hacked

When you install a smartphone app, you may be asked to grant it permissions like:

the ability to read your files
access your camera or
listen in to your microphone.

Uses for such capabilities are legit, but they’re potentially open to abuse: think before you approve ANY request. That applies especially to Android users, as Google’s app-vetting process isn’t as strict as Apple’s, and there have been reports of malicious apps spending months on the Google Play store before being spotted and taken down.

Review What’s On Your Device | How To

Although default applications seem simple and safe in the beginning, subsequent updates could turn them into something much more sinister.

Take two minutes to review all the apps on your smartphone, and see which permissions they’re using: on iOS, you’ll find lots of relevant information under Settings > Privacy.

On Android, it’s harder to get an overview of which apps have which permissions. Luckily, there are plenty of security apps that help here. Google Play-store includes free packages from Avast and McAfee, just FYI.

These tools can also jump in and alert you if you’re trying to install an app that’s known to be malicious.
They’ll warn you if a “phishing” attack is trying to trick you into entering a password into an untrusted app or webpage.

The Intruder Is Very Clever

If a thief gets physical access to your phone, they can cause all sorts of trouble. For a start, your email app probably contains a trove of personal information.

Make sure your phone is locked when not in use: both Android and iOS can be set to require a six-digit passcode. Your device may offer other options too, like fingerprints or facial recognition. Such methods aren’t perfect, you know. A really determined hacker could copy your fingerprints from a drinking glass, or trick a camera with a photograph of you.

But they’re a lot better than nothing.

In Samsung’s flagship devices, the smart unlock feature looks too neat to be true. Be wary of features that automatically unlock your phone when:

Your smartwatch is near
Your phone lock is on a smart-timer
The coding sequence is disabled after the sun sets. (A popular feature in Samsung’s One UI

The above instances could let a thief easily bypass your security and do as he/she would like to do so.

Tracking | How To Make Sure Your Smartphone Has Not Been Hacked

In case your device gets stolen, a pre-planned mechanism on your phone could do a big favor to you.

One option is to set your phone to automatically erase itself after a certain number of incorrect attempts to enter the passcode.

If that seems a bit drastic, don’t forget that both Apple and Google operate “find my device” services that can locate your phone on a map, and remotely lock or erase it. For Apple users, this is accessed through the iCloud website – you can check it’s enabled on the phone in Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone. Android users can access Google’s service at google.co.uk/android/device-manager.

You can also make a missing phone ring – helpful for drawing attention to the thief, or tracking down a handset that’s been merely mislaid.

Online Services | Know What’s Safer

In modern smartphones, auto-login is a convenient feature, that acts as an alternative for typing passwords. Here’s why this point is so important;

An intruder can simply open your browser to gain access to all your online accounts.

Long story short, you shouldn’t use auto-login features AT ALL.

If you seriously must, then use a password manager application that regularly requires you to re-enter a master password.
Don’t use the same password for more than one app or service: if that one password gets found out, it can be used to access a whole range of private information.

This applies even if you’re perfectly careful about keeping your smartphone secure. Hackers regularly break into online services to steal user credentials, which they then try out on other sites.

The Biggest Trap | Open Wi Fi

We all know there’s a risk involved in using an open wireless network. But you may not realise how severe it is: anyone in the vicinity can snoop on what you’re doing online. This sort of attack demands specialist software and skills, so it’s unlikely to be a hazard in your local cafe, but it’s not a danger that can be ignored.

Perhaps, this is the only non-hazard that could hurt pretty badly if someone hacks your phone. The hacker might download all your personal data, and to finish things off, infuse malware that renders your device obsolete.

If you’re at all doubtful about a wireless network, don’t connect – stick with your phone’s mobile internet connection. Or use a VPN tool such as CyberGhost or TunnelBear (both available free for Android and iOS).

These tools route your traffic through a private encrypted channel. So, even if someone is monitoring your traffic, they won’t be able to see what you’re up to.

Stay Vigilant | How To Make Sure Your Smartphone Has Not Been Hacked

No matter how cautious you are, you can’t completely eradicate the danger of your phone being hacked.

What you can do is supplement your on-device security measures with an online service. LogDog – available for both Android and iOS – is an app that monitors your identity on sites such as Gmail, Dropbox and Facebook.

It alerts you to suspicious activity, such as logins from unfamiliar places, giving you a chance to step in and change your credentials before serious harm can be done. As a bonus, LogDog will also scan your email and highlight messages containing sensitive data such as credit card details and passwords. This ensures they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

To download LogDog, click here.

Well, there you have it guys. This was all about how to make sure your smartphone has not been hacked. Follow this guide carefully and stay protected.

Good luck to you!