security

Smartphones are a treasure trove of sensitive data. And you’re probably storing at least some of it on your device right now. Private photos and videos, sensitive text messages, login information, business data, browsing history… and the list goes on. Can you afford having all of this leaked out to the public? What would be the ramifications in your particular case? Answer these questions, and you’ll quickly see why making at least some bit of effort toward protecting yourself is a must in this day and age.

Now that you’re aware of the dangers, the question presents itself – how can you know if someone is spying on your phone? Below, you’ll find more than a couple of telltale signs that something is not right.

1. Unexplained text messages

Have you received any weird-looking text messages as of late? We’re talking about receiving a string of complete gibberish consisting of strange symbols and random numbers. This is an indicator that a spy software might be residing in your phone. The risks include someone eavesdropping on your conversations or having access to the internal file system of your phone.

2. Slowdowns

Is your phone running unusually slow compared to what used to be the norm? If you’re not a heavy app user and you’ve recently upgraded your smartphone to a newer model, this could be a valid cause for concern. In case you’re still unsure, try disabling the apps that you don’t need and monitor your smartphone for any unusual slowdowns. You should be wary of sudden slowdowns that occur at unexpected times – a sign you may be spied on.

3. Odd sounds during a call

In the times gone by, odd noises during a call were pretty much a given. But technology has come a long way since then. Clicking or noises in the background are no longer the norm, so if you hear something reminiscent of it, it could be a sign that someone is eavesdropping on the conversation.

4. Random reboots

Have you noticed your device rebooting without reason? While a reboot is something to be expected during a system update, experiencing it at unexpected times may be a reason for concern. This likely means that someone has remote access to your smartphone without you knowing.

5. Rapidly deteriorating battery life

If someone’s recording your calls and sending them to a remote location, this is bound to consume some of your phone’s resources; namely, the battery life. To test for this, turn off all of your apps and let your smartphone sit for a while. During the time, keep an eye on the battery bar. Is it depleting much faster than it should? Then it’s likely you have some spyware sitting on it. You can also try swapping out the battery to confirm if the same thing keeps happening.

There are ways to prevent this from happening in the first place

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Trying to find a solution to an unknown problem could take hours if not days, so preventing it from happening in the first place is a much better course of action. Luckily, there’s more than one thing you can do in this regard:

1. Don’t reuse your password

If you’re one of those users who prefer using the same password across all of their apps, you may want to reconsider. After all, you don’t want to make the hackers’ job too easy, do you?

2. Be careful what you install

Installing apps from unknown sources may jeopardize your smartphone’s security. Sticking to the safe and secure official app store of your device is the safest route to take.

3. Update regularly

Sometimes you might feel lazy, thinking that you’ll update your smartphone on the following day. When it finally comes around, the same story unfolds once more, creating an infinite loop of delaying. During all this time, however, you’re vulnerable to being hacked. Install updates as soon as they are available.

4. Install a VPN

While you’re using a VPN , every piece of data you send from your phone is placed in an encrypted tunnel, and no one can access. With that in mind, being protected by VPN software goes a long way toward staying safe and keeping your identity private.

About 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.