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Techniques Hackers use to Spy on you
Hackers would love having your information; other than anything, the main motive of hackers is to have knowledge about your information, as using it will help them to foray into your bank account. Hackers can accomplish any purpose, such as revenge, financial gain, identity theft, political motives, cyberbullying, or anything. And to fulfill these purposes, hackers use these common hacking techniques, such as:
- Phishing Attacks: These attacks can be described as where hackers use bait and gain the trust of the individuals and then directly acquire the information from them.
- Malware Installation: In this attack, frequently vicious software is downloaded into our system disguised as legitimate apps whose purpose is to steal our data and hand it to hackers.
- Social Engineering: Social engineering is the manipulation technique that attackers use against human psychology to manipulate people into providing confidential information or performing actions. This technique can be used when you gain the trust of the user and make an emotional connection with them to manipulate them successfully.
- SIM Swapping: Here hackers convince you to change your number to a new SIM card, which helps them access two-factor authentication, a secure security measure giving them access to your data.
- Exploiting Software Vulnerabilities: This hacking technique involves hackers targeting bugs or weaknesses in software or operating systems to gain unauthorized access. These exploits can allow attackers to steal data, install malware, or take control of devices.
- Public Wi-Fi Exploits: Hackers use this technique by providing fake Wi-Fi as public hotspots to lure more victims to steal their data.
How to detect if your Phone is Hacked
Being apprehensive of hackers is requisite. Our devices act differently if hacked; they show different signs as humans show different symptoms as our battery unexpectedly starts getting drained, strange pop-ups start showing up, unusual data usage can be seen, apps you didn't install start showing up, and your device starts performing slowly, and unauthorized messages and transactions can be seen. These symptoms could help you confirm if your device is hacked or not.
Ways to Not Get Hacked
To protect our devices from getting hacked, we need to make sure we use strong passwords for our device's safety. Remembering to update the operating system and apps regularly is a necessity. We should always avoid downloading content from untrusted sources and suspicious links. Using VPNs while using public Wi-Fi is a must. It should be a habit to always monitor app permissions and be informed about the permissions you have permitted. Using antivirus and anti-malware apps is a good precaution. The best way to protect yourself is by being aware of the recent trends and by remaining educated.
For your phone's protection, it is necessary to turn off unused features such as Bluetooth, NFC, and location sharing when not in use to reduce exposure. Using tools like 'Find My Device' or 'Find My iPhone' is necessary to be installed so you can track and even remotely wipe your phone if stolen or lost. Backing up your data should be a practice practiced by you daily to secure your data and important files on a cloud service or external drive.
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Conclusion
Phone hacking is a serious and horrid crime. We should watch out for ourselves by using knowledge as our ordnance. We could learn from this blog what the common techniques used by hackers are and what the best practices against them are. Though our modern heart gives a very different position to our phone knowing how a slight thing about it has a huge impact on us, so it can rightly be said, 'Protecting your phone is a measure to Protect yourself'.
