iPhone hacks aren’t incredibly common, but they can still happen if you’re not careful. From malware and deceptive apps downloaded from the App Store to targeted attacks on a specific device, your information can be stolen in myriad ways.
Businessinsider has revealed the common types of hacks and how to find out if you’ve been hacked, and what to do about it:
1. Keep your iPhone updated
- It is generally advisable to keep your devices updated with security patches.
- Applies to iOS software updates. The updates include fixes for vulnerabilities that could open your iPhone to hackers.
2. Beware of clicking on suspicious links
Just like on your computer, your iPhone can be hacked by clicking on a suspicious website or link, if the website looks like it’s down, check the banners, spelling, or URL.
Try to avoid connecting to a passwordless public Wi-Fi network, which opens the possibility for a hacker to access unencrypted traffic on your device or redirect you to a fraudulent site to access your login credentials. It is also best to consider messages from numbers you don’t know are Suspicious So Don’t Click Any Links You Get From Spam Fortunately, modern smartphones are good at resisting malware and ransomware, which reduces hacking risks.
3. Avoid downloading suspicious apps
Apple devices are located in a more closed and controlled digital ecosystem when compared to Android devices this usually makes them more secure as Apple screen apps however, the process is not bulletproof.
Ning Zhang, who leads the Computer Security and Privacy Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, says you should pay attention to apps that ask for more information than they need to function.
For example, if you download a wallpaper or flashlight app and it asks for your location, contact list, camera, or microphone, that’s a red flag. The developers will likely trick you into providing this information so it can be sold, Zhang says, “I’d be a little skeptical about that and consider if I really wanted this wallpaper app.” “Being vigilant, even with official apps, is helpful if we’re able to do that, I think for the average person, you should be fairly safe.”
4. Use a strong password
If you back up your phone in iCloud, make sure you have a strong password If someone gets your password, they don’t even need to hack your phone because they can download a backup from the cloud Turning on Apple’s two-factor authentication is another good way to stay secure and can prevent Hack your iCloud account (Apple ID) by requiring another step of verification, install apps from trusted sources, and unless you know what you’re doing, you probably don’t want to jailbreak your phone. Don’t click on attachments you don’t want to open and keep your phone up to date
5. Do not jailbreak your iPhone
Jailbreaking your iPhone refers to removing software restrictions on iOS, and while this appeals to some people, it also opens up potential vulnerabilities in the software because you’ve eliminated some of Apple’s existing security measures.
It is possible to download incompatible spyware or malware apps on a jailbroken phone, and this is also how remote takeovers can happen with iPhones A jailbroken phone should be avoided because it can dangerously allow malicious apps to go undetected .
6. Be wary of partner scams
Abusive partners can take over your phone and download spyware when you’re not looking. This malware can be used to track your location or give access to private information like texts, call history, and emails.
All they need is your password and physical access to your phone which is unfortunately common. If you notice downloading apps that you don’t remember downloading, this could be a sign that even though the spyware app is often not visible on the home screen.
Unfortunately, this problem is not easy to fix, victims can risk their safety by deleting apps or checking for malware if and when abusers notice these actions.
7. Watch out for targeted attacks
Matthew Green, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Internet Security, says the average person probably won’t be tagged and targeted remotely by hackers because it’s expensive, sometimes even millions, to hack new phones. Journalists and activists are most at risk of this type of hack. The targeted hack is as follows: Hackers exploit unknown flaws in iOS programming that its developers are not yet aware of. With this knowledge, hackers can install malware to get data from targeted sources.
“This is a very complex set of hacks and a lot of times you won’t even know this has happened to you,” says Green. “If someone is really sophisticated, they will send you an invisible text message and then your phone will be hacked for some time. The bugs are known as “zero-day” exploits, which corresponds to the fact that Apple will discover a potential security issue in their software the same day they will patch it in The moment the world knows, it’s only a matter of time before a hack becomes obsolete, which is why these expensive hacks are often hidden NSO Group’s Pegasus malware is a particularly bad example, but these types of hacks are generally reserved for those nation-states that High value goals.
How do you know if your iPhone has been hacked?
You can’t always tell if your iPhone has been hacked, but you might notice a few things.
- The phone is unusually overheating or dying frequently.
- Your phone is slow when trying to load websites.
- The battery runs out even when you don’t touch your phone.
These symptoms indicate that the phone is on all the time, even when you are not using it sometimes. The best indications come from the outside, for example when friends say they are receiving strange messages from you. However, even the most complex hacks can be somewhat invisible.
There is no specific way to check every type of hack. Experts told us that one reliable way to investigate is to download a mobile security app called iVerify, which scans your phone’s operating system for suspicious behavior and can also detect if your phone has been jailbroken.
What do you do when your iPhone is hacked?
For minor issues, like an app that steals your information, delete the app and update your software In serious cases, you’ll want to wipe your iPhone and restore it to factory settings but even if you do, it might be pretty obvious if you’ve gotten rid of malware installed on your phone – Especially if it’s jailbroken, finding an expert to scan may be the best solution, and it’s not always possible to fix your phone.
If you really need to be safe, get a new phone.” “If someone already has access to your phone, and that’s a really big handicap for iPhones, they can install things like keyloggers, which means every keystroke, every character you type is sent. To someone until you’re sure this is over, you can’t be sure you have any privacy.” If you can’t get a new phone right away, your hacked iPhone probably isn’t safe to use, so it’s best to leave it locked.
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