Fears of mobile spying are now hunting many people at a time when various sections including media houses and politicians are expressing deep concern over the Pegasus phone tapping.
Pegasus is a spyware developed by the Israeli cyberarms firm NSO Group that can be covertly installed on mobile phones running most versions of iOS and Android mobile phones.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The common people have no need to fear that their mobile phones would be tapped by using spying tools like Pegasus.
But there are other hacking and spying software and apps which ordinary netizens need to be aware of.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
There are some apps that may steal financial information in your phone while some other apps may seek complete control over the phone including photo gallery, calls, messages and others.
According to a media report, such spying apps and tools by their very nature hide themselves inside the devices and cannot be easily found.
But there are signs looking at which a user of a mobile phone can detect if he/she is being spied or his/her phone has been hacked.
Mobile data usage sees a spike
If you see that your data usage has suddenly gone up, become alert as it is higher than normal.
Malicious apps or software might be consuming the mobile data of a user in the background as they track what your activities are.
Mobile phone acting strangely
If your smartphone acts strangely, it is a sign that your phone may have spyware or it is hacked. If the apps in your mobile crash unexpectedly or fail to load. Many sites look different than they usually do. If you notice anything such on your mobile, get alert.
Strange pop-ups everywhere
If you suddenly notice a lot of pop-ups appearing on your mobile screen, this may be due to adware, a type of malicious software that inundates your phone with ads. You should not click on such malicious links.
Unrecognized photos and videos in your gallery
If you see photos and videos in your photo gallery that you do not remember, be alert as it is a sign that someone may have control over your mobile camera.
Phone battery is draining faster than usual
If the battery of your mobile phone is draining faster than usual, malware and fraudulent apps may be using malicious code that tends to drain a lot of power.
If you notice apps that you never downloaded
If you come across any app on your phone that you never downloaded. This is a sign that your phone may be hacked or it has spyware.
Your phone becomes suddenly slow
If your phone becomes suddenly slow it is a sign that your phone has malware in the background.
Flashlight is on
If the flashlight of your mobile phone remains on without use, this is a sign that someone is remotely controlling your phone.
Log of texts or calls that you did not make
If you come across text or calls in your log that were not sent or made by you or you see a lot of gibberish and unusual characters there, get alert.
Phone gets hot when it is not in use
Your phone may get heat while gaming for hours, running navigation apps, but if it is getting very hot even when you don’t use it, there are chances that the hackers are at work.