Are hackers in your phone? Here’s how to find out

I’ve heard of many people being stalked online over the years. Unfortunately, today’s technology makes it all too easy.

Take Apple AirTags for example. They’re cheap, small, and easy to hide – and can tell the owner exactly where you are. Here are six signs to look out for if you suspect someone is following you in this way.

Then there are the people who are convinced someone is tapping their calls or reading their texts. Sometimes I think something is happening. At other times, paranoia set in. Here’s how to tell if you’re being followed or just being paranoid.

It’s not always easy to determine if your phone has been compromised. Here are some tips for diagnosing a hacked phone.

How does that even come about?

A person does not necessarily have to be a hacker to break into your phone. Someone can hold your phone to your face when you’re sleeping and unlock it. This one act lets them snoop through your device without your knowledge.

Then there is software that does the job. Stalkerware is designed to track you using GPS, call logs, messages, pictures, browsing history and more. This software can hide behind another app that appears harmless. Tap or click six signs that stalkerware might be on your phone.

There are malicious files and malicious links that can infect your phone without your knowledge. Something as harmless as a PDF file can contain toxic data. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to what you click on.

What about apps? Ephemeral downloads can impersonate well-known apps or try their luck in tricking you into downloading and running them. Once you do this, your phone is infected with malware.

There is also a method called SIM swapping that is much more targeted. A criminal calls your phone company pretending to be you and requests a new SIM card – disconnecting your old line and transferring everything to the criminal’s device.

Tap or click three ways to stop this fearsome attack.

Look for the signs

How do you know your phone has been hacked? Here are some red flags:

  • There are too many processes running at once slowing down your phone, or there may be a single culprit in the form of malware eating up a lot of resources. This can cause your phone to heat up.
  • Your battery drains much faster than usual.
  • Significant spikes in data usage can indicate adware or other malware running in the background.
  • Spam pop-ups are a good indicator that you have a malicious app on your phone.
  • Malware can slow down your internet by redirecting your traffic to insecure servers or simply hogging your bandwidth to steal more information from you or target others.

Some signs will appear on your phone such as: B. Emails you can’t remember or strange posts on social media.

Tap or click five signs your email inbox has been hacked and the steps you should take to block it.

How to protect your phone from hackers

A little effort can make a big difference when it comes to keeping hackers and malware off your phone.

Keep your technical knowledge up to date

My favorite podcast is called Kim Komando Today. It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips and tech callers like you from across the country. Look for it wherever you get your podcasts. For convenience, click the link below to view a recent episode.

In this episode comes Netflix ads, Facebook and Instagram to ask for money, the best golf apps, the pros and cons of password managers, new home wiring tips, and my smart advice for callers like you.

Watch my Kim Komando Today podcast on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name “Komando”.

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