How to Spot Spyware on your Smartphone |
Posted: October 11, 2018 |
You know what they say about chaos, right? That it comes without knocking. Something like this happened to me a few days ago. I was on my usual app-downloading binge when suddenly my phone’s screen went blank. Blank!? Only for a millisecond or so. Things returned to normal almost immediately. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Who would? No one has the time to care for these little things. But then, majorly bizarre stuff started happening. Out of it all, the calls shook me the most. First, from a friend in Milwaukee, complaining how I’d publically posted an embarrassing picture of her—which was in the deep recesses of my phone—on one of the social media channels, without her consent. Then, from my bank, inquiring why I’d transferred that much of a significant amount from my account to an unknown beneficiary. Lastly, from my boss, suspending me for leaking the system’s structure and selling it to the competitor’s party. I went into shock. Because there was no way on earth that I’d done any of those things. And that’s when it hit me. I asked a tech-specialist friend of mine to come over and take a look at my smartphone. After inspecting it for some time, he confirmed my suspicion. I’d accidentally downloaded spyware on my cell phone, which had been tracking my private activities, and sending my confidential information to a third party that had hacked my phone and executed all those remarkable feats against me. I was being trapped without my own knowledge, and it threw me into an abyss of despair for quite a long time. So, in this post, I would like to inform you about the dangers of cell phone spyware and the possible damages. Timing is of the essence in this case. If you detect spyware in the early stages of infection, you can eradicate it right away and prevent major mishaps. The following tips will help you with spyware detection. It doesn’t require any technical know-how, just a keen and observant eye. Read on. 1. Sudden Battery DepletionOne of the most telling signs of spyware infection is when the phone’s battery life takes a sudden dive. Goes from 89% to 25% in half an hour, even though you’ve purchased the device not so long ago, and it had been working fine before. What does this odd behavior signify? That the spyware app is working behind the scene and hogging all the battery juice. I didn’t notice this, maybe you can. 2. Increased Data UsageA spyware-infected smartphone uses the mobile data network. If you’ve seen a sudden change in your mobile’s internet usage, going from a usual low to a high peak in a matter of minutes, then consult the ISP immediately and find out who’s behind this surreptitious activity. Following that, reinforce your networks against possible intrusion. TWC internet comes with a proper security suite, to protect you and your devices against such spyware, firmware, malware etc. Just an FYI. 3. Unnatural Call DisturbanceSo, you call someone from your smartphone and hear a weird beep or an echo or an irregular voice in the background that should not be there? Has this been recurring during every single call that you make? Yes, there’s spyware on your phone. It may be a network issue, but you can test that by calling in the same area using a different phone. What basically happens is that the spyware records your calls, which causes the disruption in the first place. It’s a tell-tale sign. Keep an eye out for it. 4. Coded Text MessagesIt’s just like a scene out of a sci-fi movie. You receive these text messages having creepy numbered codes that make no sense to you whatsoever, yet are commands given by the spying party to the spying software hiding in your phone to start wreaking havoc there. If you’ve been receiving such messages for some time now, yes, you’ve been targeted. Get your phone checked ASAP! Smartphones have almost become an extension of our selves. Keeping your device protected should be a top priority. Thus, with the help of these detection tips, you can catch spyware in its early stages and uproot it.
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