In today's world, smartphones and other mobile devices have become an integral part of human life. Many people think that a smartphone is much better protected from viruses and hacker attacks than a computer. But this is far from true. The Android OS, on which the vast majority of devices are based, is actually very vulnerable. Because smartphones and their owners often become victims of hackers. What to do if your phone has been hacked? We will definitely answer this question, as well as consider possible signs that the smartphone has become a victim of hackers.
Signs that your phone has been hacked
No matter how cool a hacker is, he still leaves traces. If the phone is hacked, it starts behaving inappropriately. And by this behavior, you can understand that something is clearly going on with the device. Signs that your phone has been hacked may include:
- Quick discharge of the device. This means,that some process is running in the background. And strenuously. Ordinary applications cannot afford this. So this is some kind of malware.
- The phone is heating up. If the device lies quietly on the table, does not charge and generally in standby mode, but gets very hot, then this is a sign that something is loading the processor. And this is far from an ordinary app.
- Spontaneous reboots. If the device for no reason starts to reboot for no apparent reason, there is reason to think. Especially if a relatively new phone behaves this way.
- Unfamiliar numbers appeared in the call log. This is a sign that the device is calling some numbers on its own. But that doesn't happen. So someone is controlling it remotely.
- Can't turn off smartphone. After pressing the off button, the application starts, the backlight turns on. Anything but shutdown. This is another sign.
- Echo when talking. The most common sign that a phone has been tapped or hacked. This happens if someone tries to connect to the line.
All of the above points are clear signs that someone is trying to gain access to the smartphone. Or already received. And as a result, the owner is trying to find the answer to the question of what to do if the phone was hacked. First, let's talk about the security measures that needed to be applied even before the hack.
Security measures to prevent hacking
What had to be done in order toprevent an attack on a smartphone? The list of actions is very short. Yes, and users have heard about many of them. Even though they didn't use it. This is the ABC of computer security. And it is quite applicable for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. So:
- Password protection. It is worth setting a password on the phone to provide access to the smartphone. Moreover, the password should be quite complex. Best if it contains letters (in different cases) and numbers.
- Don't open weird text messages. If a message with strange characters has arrived, then in no case should it be opened. It may contain malicious code or software.
- Set a password for your voicemail. In this way, you can protect confidential data and prevent the possibility of an attack on your smartphone. This is the first security option to apply.
- Do not connect to all Wi-Fi hotspots in a row. Especially if they have no protection. Intercepting traffic with sensitive data over an insecure network is as easy as shelling pears.
- Install antivirus. OS "Android" is full of all sorts of flaws and holes. Therefore, you need to install an antivirus. It will help protect the user's sensitive data.
If all of the above applies to your smartphone, then the chance of hacking it is negligible. However, what to do if your phone has been hacked? There are several ways to solve this problem.
If the phone was hacked
What to do in this case? Is it possible somehow"cure" the device? Can. To do this, you will have to take a number of actions. And not quite usual. But only they will help if the phone has been hacked and there is no access. What to do to regain control over the device? There are several options:
- Reset to factory settings. In most cases, this is enough. The smartphone returns to the state inherent in it after it was released from the assembly line. It deletes all user data. Including applications. Malware is also ruthlessly removed.
- Flashing. A more radical measure, applied if the previous method did not help. Its essence lies in the complete replacement of the operating system. However, there is no universal instruction for implementing this option, since all smartphones are different.
This is one of the answers to the question of what to do if the phone was hacked. And now let's take a closer look at the option of resetting to factory settings. It can be done in two scenarios. You can reset the OS from the settings menu. But only if you have access to the device. If not, then you will have to use the recovery option.
Reset to factory settings
Let's consider the option of resetting the settings using recovery. This method is the most efficient and almost always works. So what to do if your phone has been hacked? The algorithm is simple:
- Turn off the device completely.
- Turn on simultaneously with pressing the volume up key.
- Getting into recovery.
- ChooseWipe Data & Factory Reset.
- Confirm the action.
- Go back and select Reboot System Now.
- We are waiting for the device to load and set it up.
Data Recovery
Unfortunately, data recovery is problematic if the phone number has been hacked. What to do about this problem? You will have to re-enter all passwords and logins, install the necessary applications, download photos, videos and music to your smartphone. A good advantage would be a previously created backup copy of the data. Then the restoration will really be carried out. But not all smartphone owners take advantage of the backup option.
Conclusion
So we looked at possible answers to the question of what to do if your phone account has been hacked. If it has already been hacked, then there is only one way out: resetting the settings. And if you haven’t been hacked yet, then you should apply all of the above protection measures. They will definitely help keep your smartphone intact. And the user's sensitive data will not be affected.
