As smartphone users, iPhone viruses are the bane of our existence. You’re going along, minding your own business, and using your phone in ways that make your life more convenient, and then all of a sudden — virus attack. Your data is suddenly at risk and you have to scramble to protect your privacy and change all of your passwords.
Okay, so maybe getting a virus on your phone isn’t that simple. It’s usually the result of malicious intent plus common mistakes users make when they let their guard down. But you don’t have to feel powerless in the face of iPhone viruses. You can keep these three simple hacks in mind to stop iPhone viruses.
Beware of “Urgent” Messages
Is that iPhone message you received really all that urgent? And are you 100 percent sure that you know the sender and their intention? If there’s any doubt in your mind about an iMessage, don’t open attachments or click through links to unfamiliar websites. This simple mistake can lead to your phone contracting a virus and can put your data and privacy at risk.
Never Download Third-Party Applications
You can’t help it: there’s a great app that you want to download and the only way to get it is to jailbreak your phone and download it from a third-party application. Even if you do this and everything turns out okay, you’re still taking a major risk that’s not worth it. One of the most frequent ways viruses infiltrate phones is via third-party malicious apps — the kind you can’t download via the App Store. No matter how tempting it is, just stick to App Store apps (Apple is notorious for being on top of it apps to avoid problems like this).
Take Control of the Situation ASAP
If you suspect you have a virus on your phone, the sooner you take control of the situation, the less data and information you will spoon-feed malicious hackers (trust us, they’ll hate you for it). For starters, change passwords for every app that you use that has access to sensitive information. Check your phone to make sure there aren’t suspicious looking apps on it that you didn’t download. If there are, delete them. Clear your website data and browsing history, as a virus could be stored on your device. And restart your phone but shutting it down and powering it back up.
These three tips can help you avoid viruses altogether on your phone — and deal with them right away if you do suspect your phone has been compromised.
