Very often, hackers steal data to assume your identity and then use it for something else like taking a loan, transferring money, etc. The occurrence of such incidents has increased after mobile banking and Internet banking started to gain popularity.
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.
Cybercriminals rarely choose their victims at random. The first stage of the cyber kill chain is reconnaissance, where an attacker narrows down a list of targets based on organization profile, security posture, and vulnerable individuals.
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.
Phones are particularly tempting targets for hackers because these devices usually have access to a huge amount of user data, from banking information to social media passwords. Hackers are always eager to infect your device with malware and trojans.
Can hackers watch through your camera? If a hacker installs spyware on your phone then there is a good chance they will be able to access your camera and turn it on/off as they please. They may also be able to access any photos or videos you have previously taken.
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.
Is it even possible for someone to hack your screen? Yes, a person can hack your screen. This is true about phones, computers, and tablets. If your device has a screen, there is a possibility that it can be hacked.
But it's important to remember that falling victim is not your fault and to act quickly if you do. Failing to take immediate and appropriate action can have substantial costs. This guide will explain what to do if you've been the victim of a hack and how to identify and prevent cyberattacks.
Think: Name, birthday, SSN, phone number. If it can identify, locate, or contact you, it's PII. Odds are, this is what hackers are looking for. As stolen information goes, PII is fairly malleable to a cybercriminal's whims.
Unfortunately, some attackers want to steal your data just to prove that they can. They are not motivated by monetary gain, access to free resources or the ability to steal your users' identities. They simply want to prove to themselves – and their hacker friends, perhaps – that they can break past your defenses.
Use a password, lock code or encryption.
You can use the storage encryption feature on your phone to protect your private data, and set your screen to timeout after five minutes or less.
A new report shows that 75% of people globally don't adhere to widely-accepted password best practices with 64% either using weak passwords or repeat variations of passwords to protect their online accounts.
Malware can change your device setting to make it easier for the intruder to gain access. On smartphones, PCs and Macs, hackers will enable the camera and microphone on an unexpected application (or on an app they have installed themselves).
Scammers may send you fake texts or emails with links that contain malware. If you click on the link, your device will be infected — allowing the hackers to crawl your computer for sensitive data or use spyware to spy on you in the background.
To access a camera locally, a hacker needs to be in range of the wireless network the camera is connected to. There, they would need to obtain access to the wireless network using a number of methods, such as guessing the security passphrase with brute force or spoofing the wireless network and jamming the actual one.
Performing a factory reset should remove hackers from your phone. Once you've done this, you can use antivirus software to keep them out of your device.
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.
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.
For Android phone
Unfortunately, there is no direct way to check if the camera or the microphone of your Android device is being accessed. However, there is a workaround for it. Android users can download an app called Access Dots from the Google Play Store which will notify users the same way iPhone does.