According to Norton.com, one or more of these unusual behaviors could be a warning that someone has breached your phone:
- Phone loses charge quickly: Malware and fraudulent apps sometimes use malicious code that tends to drain a lot of power.
- Phone runs abnormally slowly: A breached phone might be giving all its processing power over to the hacker’s applications. Unexpected freezing, crashes and restarts sometimes can be symptoms.
- Strange activity on your other online accounts: When hackers get into your phone, they will try to access your private information. Check your social media and email accounts for password reset prompts, unusual login locations or new account signup verifications.
- Unfamiliar calls or texts: Hackers may be tapping your phone with an SMS trojan or impersonating you to steal personal information from your loved ones. Be vigilant, because either method leaves breadcrumbs, such as outgoing messages.
- Higher than normal data usage: There are many reasons for high data usage, such as increased use of a new app. But if your phone behavior has stayed the same and your data usage has skyrocketed, you will need to investigate.
Being mindful of your digital behavior is the best way to protect yourself, and there are practices proven to lower hacking risks:
- Only select apps from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments when you receive an email or text from an unknown sender.
- Stick with your phone’s mobile internet connection if a wireless network is questionable.
- Take inventory of your apps and delete anything that came from a third-party source.
- Use anti-malware software that can help identify and target malware on your phone.
