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Experiencing a phone hack is a nightmare scenario. Our devices store so much personal information and data that the thought of having any of our data compromised is terrifying. Even more mysterious: you may not know that your phone has been hacked until long after your data has been stolen. But knowledge is power — and Casey Crane, cybersecurity expert and journalist at SectigoStore.com, spoke to SHEFinds.com about the five scary signs your iPhone has been hacked. The sooner you know what to look out for, the faster you can react and protect your data.
According to Crane, there are a lot of different signs that your phone has been hacked. But here are five of the most obvious.
Your phone is inexplicably slow or has increasingly poor battery life.
“This could be because one or more unauthorized apps are running in the background, slowing down your device and draining its juice,” Crane says.
You receive a lot of popups.
“Popups are a huge red flag that something is wrong with your device,” Crane says.
Your device sends messages or makes phone calls without your permission.
“If you notice outbound text messages or phone calls that you don’t remember sending or making, or if someone you know sends you a message or calls about weird messages they said you’ve sent them, this can indicate that someone has hacked your phone,” Crane says.
Apps appear that you didn’t download.
“When a hacker infiltrates a device, they may choose to install software or plugins,” Crane says.
Device settings change without your permission.
According to Crane, if things seem different or you notice settings changes that you didn’t make, your device may have been hacked.
A few other indicators that your phone has been hacked are as follows:
You experience identity theft. If someone hacks your phone, they may be able to use it to gain access to accounts that are tied to that device. This can include your personally identifiable information and bank account information.
Your phone loses cellular service. If your device suddenly can’t connect to a cellular network, it’s possible that someone may have “hacked” your phone in terms of taking over your SIM card. (Instead of taking over your physical device, though, what they do is take over your phone number and use it to hijack all of your accounts that use it as a method of authentication.) While this may not be “hacking” in the traditional sense, it can be just as harmful — if not more so — than other phone hacking methods.
Be aware of these signs of hacking so that you can take action before more of your information is compromised.
