Phone hacking can compromise your identity and privacy without you even knowing. Fraudsters continuously evolve and improve hacking methods, making them increasingly harder to spot. This means the average user might be blind sighted by any number of cyberattacks.
One clear sign of a cyberhack is receiving an email about a password reset that you did not request. The most obvious explanation is that a hacker is attempting to reset your password and access your account. Never respond to a password reset you did not request.
Hackers will often use secure software such as a proxy server to hide their identity and funnel their communications through lots of different countries in order to evade detection. Other technologies like Tor and encryption enable them to add multiple layers to mask their identity.
The lifecycle of a cyber attack
So, how long does it take to detect a cyber attack? In IBM's 2022 data security report, it was reported that it took an average of 277 days – roughly 9 months – for businesses to identify and report a data breach.
Phishing is one of the most common ways that hackers gain access to other people's login data. Phishing emails often contain links that lead to fake websites designed to trick you into entering your password.
Step 1: Change your passwords
On accounts or devices that contain sensitive information, make sure your password is strong, unique—and not easily guessable. Adding your birthday to your mother's maiden name won't cut it.
Unknown apps have access to camera
When setting up a spy app on your phone, the hacker will sometimes need to grant it permission to access your camera. This allows the app to take photos and videos in the background without you knowing.
If hackers get into your device or accounts, they could access your money and personal information and you could become a victim of identity theft or identity fraud.
To tell if your Android is hacked, look for these signs: Your Android loses battery quickly. You get emails about unfamiliar password resets, account signups, etc. You see calls or text messages that you don't recognize.
Fraudsters can try to access your online accounts (i.e., social media or banking) using your phone number. They can send a password reset to your phone and even trick automated systems into thinking they are you.
After Discovering You've Opened Malware or You've Been Phished. Changing your passwords may not mitigate all the damage from malware or a successful phishing expedition. Still, it can keep future attackers or scammers from accessing your accounts or impersonating you further.
One of the biggest hacks in history is the Equifax data breach that happened in 2017. Equifax, a credit reporting agency, had several security lapses that enabled attackers to access sensitive PII, date of birth, social security numbers, address, driver's license numbers, etc., of over 143 million customers.
There are several ways that scammers can gain access to your online bank account. They could use phishing attacks, malware or other cyberattacks, or buy your credentials online after a data breach.
Yes, you should be able to remove a hacker by doing a factory reset on your phone. Keep in mind that this solution will remove all of your data, including contacts, third-party apps, photos, and other files. You will need to set up your phone entirely from scratch.
Unusually High Data Usage
An unusual surge in the amount of data your phone is consuming can sometimes be a sign spyware is running in the background. The spy app needs to use data to send information back to the perpetrator, so a spike in data usage may indicate foul play.
Check for background apps
A more advanced malicious operator wouldn't use such an obvious tactic, but checking for suspicious background apps on your iOS or Android device — usually by hitting the recent apps button on your phone — is a quick way to identify any issues.
Similarly, when a criminal is trying to hack an organization, they won't try something novel unless absolutely necessary. They draw upon common hacking techniques that are known to be highly effective, such as malware, phishing, or cross-site scripting (XSS).
Stolen personal information is fuel for identity theft
Many online services require users to fill in personal details such as full name, home address and credit card number. Criminals steal this data from online accounts to commit identity theft, such as using the victim's credit card or taking loans in their name.
Mostly for the money
While some hackers do it for fame, because they're disgruntled ex-employees or because they view hacking as sport, the majority of cyber criminals do it for the money. Verizon's 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 86% of the data breaches they analysed were financially motivated.
Well, the short answer is yes. Hackers can gain access to your browser history in various ways: Hacking into company databases – They can get login details into your accounts like Google, which stores your Google Chrome browsing history.
Does turning your phone off really help in thwarting hacking? Yes, turning a device off then back on again can prevent hackers from stealing information from smartphones in these times of widespread digital insecurity.