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For every advancement in phone technology, there’s a corresponding way for hackers to exploit it. Hackers are highly motivated individuals who will take any opportunity to get access to your iPhone and steal your personal information.
You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your smart phone, but these criminals are often two steps ahead. Your phone may already have been compromised. These are the telltale signs that it has, according to leading cyber security experts:
Sent Messages & New Apps
Any activity on your phone that you don’t recognize—like messages you didn’t send or apps you didn’t download—are major signs of a breach.
“Phishing or Smishing is a reason why an iPhone might become the target of a virus,” Chris Payne, Managing Director of Advanced Cyber Solutions tells us.
“Successful phishing attacks require a level of confidence in the recipient and so being able to send SMS, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp messages from your phone or account is critical. A sign of a breached iPhone would therefore be messages being sent from your device, which you yourself did not send.”
Additionally, “Any new app icons which show up or anything else that looks suspicious related to changes you didn’t make,” are red flags, explains Michael W. Cocanower, the founder & president of itSynergy.
Data Usage
“One sure sign your iPhone may have a virus is if the data usage has increased dramatically,” Bob Herman, President and Co-founder of IT Tropolis tells us. “Check data usage on your monthly bill and compare to previous bills. You can also check your current period usage at Settings > Cellular."
Holly Zink, tech and security expert for Safeguarde, has a similar warning. “Does your monthly bill show charges for international calls and data that you know you didn’t use? Getting charged extra for calls, data, and texts is a clear sign your phone has a virus.”
Apps Behaving Strangely
Apps crashing is the biggest sign. “When any abnormal file invades your cell phone, like a virus, it can cause your applications to not load and even crash,” Holly says. “If you can’t open any of your apps, clearly something has infected your smartphone.”
You may see experience other abnormalities in how apps function, such as not being able to change your settings, access your passwords or receiving alerts that your passwords have been compromised, Jackie Rednour-Bruckman, CMO of MyWorkDrive explains.
Battery Dying & Phone Slowing Down
“If you notice a sudden drop in battery life (i.e. your battery suddenly lasts much less time than it did a few days or weeks earlier),” you may have experienced a breach, Michael says.
“Extremely slow performance that comes on suddenly,” is another sign as well, he says.
So, there you have it four tell-tale signs that your iPhone has been hacked. Be safe out there, people!
READ MORE: The One App You Should Delete ASAP If Your iPhone Runs SO Slowly
