Shahrom Gilani said in his report on the "Take News World" website that our extensive use and dependence on smartphones; Make it the source of most of our personal information, knowing that by the year 2020, it is likely that the number of smartphone users will reach more than six billion users in the world.
The writer mentioned that we may overlook the fact that the smartphone is a pocket-sized computer, and just like any device that can connect to the Internet, these smartphones are at risk of electronic attacks.
According to McAfee, malware numbers are rising at an alarming rate, increasing by 27% in the last quarter of 2017. Securing your phone should be a top priority, whether for personal or business use.
Types of malware:
Phone spyware
The author stated that these malicious programs can penetrate your phone under the cover of benign programs. These programs can secretly monitor your activity, record your location, and steal your sensitive passwords. You may inadvertently give this app access to this information by downloading it.
Malware program that uses root privileges
The author indicated that this type of malware is the worst, as these viruses gain the ability to access the root user of the compromised device and provide hackers with the privileges of the original user and access to users' files.
Banking Trojans
With the increasing popularity of mobile banking services and transactions, viruses that infiltrate these processes have become a serious cybersecurity problem. In 2017, nearly 260,000 users in 164 countries were attacked by "Trojan" or Trojan horse software targeting mobile banking operations. The attackers disguise themselves as a legitimate banking app to lure users into downloading it, allowing them to steal their data.
Malware targeting text messages
This type of program takes control of a smartphone by sending text messages for a fee. This process usually takes place without the user's knowledge until they receive a shocking bill at the end of the month.
How can your phone be hacked
The author stated that downloading malicious applications is one of the most common ways to hack your phone. Cybercriminals may hack an app, categorize it as a third-party app and bundle it with hidden malware, causing users who download the app to install malware on their devices. Hackers also exploit known vulnerabilities in the operating system, so it is imperative that you update your device.
Your phone may also be hacked by connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, which is not usually encrypted, allowing hackers to intercept the flow of data between the user and the access point. This attack is known as a "middleman attack", which enables hackers to spy on any conversation that took place on the compromised network.
Android vs. iOS
Google's Android is a major target for malware, with 19 million reported malware specifically developed for Android. This is due to the dominance of the Android operating system on the smartphone market in the world, and the inconsistency of updates to this system, as well as its use as a kind of relatively open application distribution system.
1- A large number of phones are under attack
Despite the global popularity of Apple products, 85% of smartphone users in the world use Android phones. Many major companies, such as Samsung, Huawei and HTC, operate with the Android operating system.
2- Frequent updates to the operating system
Updates in the Android system are usually unorganized. When Google releases an update for its operating system, it takes some time for it to reach users, unless they own a Google device such as Pixel phones.
3- An Open Platform
Android has an open and adaptive platform, which makes it more vulnerable to cyberattacks than Apple's iOS. Users can download apps from third-party sources that are not regulated by Google Play, which made the 10 million Android phones compromised by the malware known as HummingBad in 2016.
iOS vulnerabilities
iOS is not completely secure; A large-scale XCodeGhost attack in China in 2015 compromised more than 39 applications, including the old version of WeChat. Hackers infiltrated the App Store by offering developers a fake version of Apple's XCode. They were then able to steal data and send fake alerts to the compromised devices to trick users into revealing their information.
Signs That Your Phone Has Been Attacked By Malware
Detecting that your device has been hacked is difficult, as your phone may contain some hidden malware that corrupts your phone without you knowing about it. To be sure if your phone is hacked, you should look for the main signs of it, such as the device being slow, or the battery draining more quickly than usual. A noticeable and sudden decrease in performance is more than just an indication that you need to change your phone, but rather a sign that your phone has been hacked.
How to remove malware from your phone
If your phone has been hacked, you must activate the "Safe Mode" on your device. You can do this by pressing the power off button until prompted to re-enable safe mode on your device. And Safe Mode will disable all third-party apps. So if you find that your device is running smoothly, trust that the virus was behind the problem. Next, go to your phone's settings and head to the Applications folder. Find the app you think is behind the problem or any app you don't remember downloading. You can remove it manually by clicking on the Uninstall button.
The author also touched on the method of getting rid of viruses in the iOS operating system, noting that malicious programs targeting this system are rarer than those that intercept the Android system, but that does not make attacks impossible.
The iOS "playground" security mechanism architecture that restricts access to apps for viruses helps prevent viruses from spreading to other apps or corrupting the underlying operating system. This means that it is very easy to find out which hacked app is causing your phone to malfunction. You won't have problems unless the hacked app is open and running.
Tips to protect your phone:
1- Be wary of public Wi-Fi networks
The author mentioned that you should not access sensitive information when using public Wi-Fi networks, such as logging into a bank or checking emails related to sensitive work, given Because hackers may spy on your calls through middleman attack.
2- Do not break the protection or resort to root (root)
The author added that downloading expensive applications for free by breaking the protection of the iPhone and rooting the Android phone seems to be a good thing, but this step removes the protection from Apple and Google phones.
3- Download apps from official app stores only
Savvy hackers know how to infiltrate the walled garden of the App Store and Google Play security measures. But your chances of downloading malicious apps are very low if you stick to downloading them from official app stores.
4- Update your operating system
The author emphasized that cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems to gain access to smartphones that have not been updated. To reduce this risk, be sure to install updates to your software as soon as new versions are released.
5- Encrypt your device
You will need to enter your PIN or password to decrypt your phone every time you want to use it.
6- Review Access Permissions
Often, when users download new apps, they don't take the time to read the terms and conditions, or see what data they're allowing the app to access.