Learn to identify the warning signs and what you can do to avoid greater evils. </p><div>
The great advances in technology in recent times have not made life easier, but it has also made hackers and hackers more likely to enter almost any device. And, despite the fact that some companies, like Google, do their best to protect their devices, we are always exposed.
Also, let’s face it, most of us have gotten used to our phones somehow being spied on somehow, just like Android terminals. So this time we will tell you 5 ways to know if your mobile has been punctured or intervened.
Ads and PUAs are a bad sign
After using a smartphone for so long, you may become very familiar with your operating system, which means that you may overlook some apps installed on the device. This is a serious mistake, since it is very important that you know exactly what is on your mobile, especially the applications that run in the background. If you have not installed them yourself, it could be malicious items.
Recently, Apple discovered 17 rogue apps on the App Store, for example. They were initially believed to contain Trojan malware, but in reality they were adware that presented malicious advertisements to users. These adware could also be used to collect data and open a back door for hackers, inviting the installation of some other type of rogue software.
Ads could become intrusive to encourage victims to click on them, even accidentally, and generate income through pay-per-click. Malware can generate a large amount of ad traffic and therefore further increase data usage.
Increased consumption of mobile data can be a big alert
There are many applications that use large amounts of data, especially if you do not connect to a WiFi network. This could be even worse if, for example, you let your children use your device while they are away from home. Even so, the ideal would be for you to know how much data, approximately, you use each month.
Look also | Why is it dangerous to connect to a public WiFi network
If this amount increases dramatically, you should try to identify the reason. If you can’t find the reason, it is possible that a third party is intercepting your data. Malicious software often uses your data allowance to send the collected information to an external source. This means that it does not rely solely on your home WiFi, but will consume data wherever you are.
Strange messages may indicate wiretapping
The bad signs may be in plain sight, but you’ve been ignoring them until today. That’s right, what might look like spam, a nuisance, or a wrong number it can be an alert that something is wrong. Suspicious SMS could include seemingly random series of digits, characters, and symbols, which will immediately seem strange to you, but perhaps not especially malicious.
The most frequent cause of this is a flaw in spyware used by cybercriminals. If not installed correctly, encrypted messages will appear in your inbox that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. So, keep an eye out for any activity you don’t recognize, view messaging chains, social media profiles and check your inbox and outbox. If you don’t remember sending something, you should be vigilant.
You may also have performance issues
Malware can gain root access to your smartphone or trick you into downloading a fake systems update to completely dominate any activity you perform on it. Information about a potential victim could be passed on to hackers’ external servers.
Of course, the more data used, the slower your device will be. Now, think about all that information that is transmitted to and from your device, this will slow down your mobile and may make you think that it is simply due to the passage of time. But the truth is that you will suffer from performance problems with your phone, regardless of the method a cybercriminal uses to damage it.
Make sure the websites don’t look different
You may not know it yet, but if there is a malicious application on your mobile, this it could alter the appearance of the websites you frequent. In these cases, the malware acts as a proxy, intercepting communications between you and the site you are trying to visit. It can be by presenting you with a fake page or simply keeping track of everything you write, and it doesn’t matter if you are using private browsing mode.
You may not notice any difference at first glance, since, it could be just minor changes, like pixelated logos. And if you see something strange, it could be the website that is experimenting with a new interface. Try to compare the mobile version with the one displayed on a PC, keeping in mind that the responsive themes will look slightly different.
And if you want to further protect your security, we recommend reading how to protect your smart home from hackers.