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Traditionally a headache reserved for celebrities, smartphone-hacking concerns have crossed the VIP vs. Everyone else blood-brain barrier and are now a legitimate concern for anyone who owns a cell phone.But is this really a serious problem for us regular folks? Are our voicemail messages so interesting that someone would invade our privacy to listen in? Before we go barking up the narcissism tree, it’s best to examine what phone hacking is and whether you really need to worry about it. The Security Risks of Phone HackingThere are of phone hacking methods, ranging from hacking into a live conversation or into someone’s voicemail, and to hacking into data stored on one’s smartphone.
While the fear of the unknown can keep anyone on edge, the person most likely to hack into your live conversation or voicemail will be someone that you already know, and in today’s mobile world, phone hacking continually grows as a security issue. As people increasingly store sensitive data on their mobile devices, the opportunity to exploit privacy weaknesses becomes more tempting to unscrupulous frenemies, exes or the occasional stranger.There is a cottage industry of phone hacking software, ostensibly developed for legal uses, but that can be easily abused by anyone (password crackers aptly named John the Ripper and Cain and Abel are two examples). Opportunistic hackers can wreak havoc with data deletion or install malicious software that gathers bank account logins and confidential business emails.
So, how can you make things tougher for hackers? How to Secure Your Phone From HackersIf you want to be proactive, there are several measures you can take to, most of which involve common sense. In addition, there are advanced methods to ensure that your phone is as secure as possible (without losing its full functionality). For example: Basic Phone Security TipsFor casual phone users, adhering to the basics is a great place to start when it comes to blocking simple hacking efforts:.
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Never leave your phone unattended. Keeping your phone with you at all times while in a public place is the first, best rule to follow. Change your phone’s default passcode.
Your phone likely comes with a simple, predictable default password, and those who know can use this to their advantage. Change your code to something more complex, and resist the usual '1234,' '0000' and “2580” codes that are commonly used. Manage your Bluetooth Security. Avoid using and turn off your Bluetooth service when you aren’t using it. Protect your PIN and Credit Card data. Use a protected app to store PIN numbers and credit cards, or better yet, don’t store them in your phone at all.Advanced Ways to Prevent Phone HackingIf you’re still worried about hacking, there are further steps you can take to protect yourself.
However, taking things too far will defeat the purpose of having a smartphone at all. Avoid unsecured public WiFi. Hackers often target important locations such as bank accounts via public WiFi that can often be unsecured due to relaxed safety standards or even none at all. Turn off your autocomplete feature. By doing this, you can prevent stored critical personal data from being accessed. Regularly delete your browsing history, cookies, and cache. Removing your virtual footprint is important in minimizing the amount of data that can be harvested by prying eyes.
Have an iPhone? Enable Find My iPhone.
By turning the feature on in your settings, you’ll be able to locate your phone if you misplace it before the hackers can lay their paws on it.Use a security app that increases protection. For Android owners, Webroot offers the all-in-one that provides antivirus protection and allows you to remotely locate, lock up and wipe your phone in the event you lose track of it. For iOS users, Webroot also offers a free secure web browser for on your iPhone and iPad.Remember—if the thought of hacking has you tossing and turning at night, you can just turn the phone off, remove the battery and hide it under your pillow for some sweet lithium-ion induced dreams. Or, you can double down on securing your mobile devices with offering secure web browsing and real-time defense against phishing attacks.
Last week was unsettling for Mac users worried that someone could hijack the cameras and microphones built into their phones and laptops.On Thursday, Apple disabled the Walkie Talkie audio chat feature in its smartwatches to fix a vulnerability that would allow someone to listen in on consumers without their consent, according to a.Just a few days earlier, a security researcher revealed a similar flaw in the videoconferencing app Zoom that could be exploited to trick Mac users into opening a video call, even if they had uninstalled Zoom in the past. Both Apple and Zoom have issued updates to address the problem.There haven’t been any reports of consumers falling victim to either of these vulnerabilities, and security flaws with connected cameras and microphones are nothing new.
Still, the news adds fuel to one of consumers’ top fears over digital privacy. While targeted advertising works so well that it can seem like tech companies must be illicitly recording your conversations, privacy and security experts say that isn’t actually happening— to learn what people may be interested in.On the other hand, there is a real, if remote, risk that hackers could take control of your devices’ cameras and microphones, security experts say.“These are the risks we accept with these smart devices,” says Patrick Jackson, chief technology officer at Disconnect, a cybersecurity firm that has partnered with CR on investigations. “They have a lot of sensors, and you’re not always aware of whether they’re on or off.” However, Jackson says, there are a few easy steps you can take to protect yourself, no matter which brand of computer or smartphone you use.
“Every time you install a new app on your device, you’re adding another back door into your system, with more potential software vulnerabilities that hackers can try to exploit,” says Cody Feng, project leader for security and privacy testing at Consumer Reports. “In digital security, we call this your ‘attack surface.’ Reducing that surface is always a good idea.”Most apps like Google Hangout, Skype, and Zoom give you the option to make and receive calls by logging in to their site on your web browser without downloading any special software. Using your browser instead of downloading an app is an easy way to stay a little safer.A web browser isn’t inherently more secure, but the fewer apps on your machine with access to your camera and microphone, the fewer opportunities hackers will have to break in and spy on you.“For some people, there will be chat apps you can’t avoid because they have features that aren’t available in the browser version of the service,” Feng says.
“And you may not have the option to remove apps that come preinstalled on your device, like the Apple Watch’s Walkie Talkie feature. Just take the steps that make sense for your situation. Any extra effort will leave you better protected.”. All sorts of apps can request permission to access the camera, microphone, and other features, such as location information, on your phone or computer. Using the steps below, it’s easy to see which apps have requested permission, and revoke permissions that you’ve granted in the past.“Make sure you understand all the apps that have permissions for video and microphone access,” Disconnect’s Jackson says.Jackson recommends turning off any permissions that aren’t important for your day-to-day life. That way, even if an app is compromised, the attacker won’t be able to make a direct connection to your camera or microphone without implementing some additional hack.On an Android phone: Go to the phone’s Settings Apps (or Apps & Notifications) Advanced App permissions Camera Tap the toggle next to an app to revoke permission. Then go back and do the same under the “Microphone” menu.
(These instructions may vary slightly depending on which phone you have.)On an iPhone: Go to the phone’s Settings Privacy Camera Tap the toggle next to an app to revoke permission. Then go back and do the same under the “Microphone” menu.On a Mac: Go to the computer’s Settings Security & Privacy Privacy Camera Uncheck the box next to an app to revoke permission. Then go back and do the same under the “Microphone” menu.On a PC: Go to the computer’s Settings Privacy Camera Turn off Camera access altogether, or use the toggles next to individual apps to adjust permissions.
Then go back and do the same under the “Microphone” menu. Updating software and firmware is critical to staying on top of your digital security. Sometimes, as with the Apple Watch’s Walkie Talkie problem, manufacturers will roll out updates automatically to help keep consumers safe when serious flaws are identified.In other cases, as with the Zoom app, you may need to take additional steps to ensure you’re protected. According to Zoom, consumers who use the app can head to the site’s to check for updates. Alternatively, open the app, click “zoom.us” in the top left corner screen, and select “Check for Updates.”“Don’t wait until you hear about a problem to look for updates, and install security updates immediately,” Feng says. Turn on automatic updates, or check for updates frequently.
There’s a famous picture of Mark Zuckerberg with a laptop in the background that has a piece of tape covering the camera. Doing the same with your computer is one shortcut to peace of mind. If tape looks too messy for you, you can buy stickers just for this purpose that are designed to be easily moved and replaced.“That physical barrier is a great solution for video, but it won’t work quite as well for your microphone,” Jackson says. In fact, he says, built-in microphones are often designed to keep working even if they’re obstructed, so you don’t accidentally silence a call with a misplaced finger. “With a phone or laptop mic, you often just have to rely on software to protect you,” Jackson says.However, you could try what’s called a “microphone blocker,” essentially a dummy plug with nothing on the other side of it that you insert into your device’s headphone or microphone jack.
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When working as intended, a blocker tricks a device into thinking a microphone is plugged in and switching over from the built-in microphone, so a hacker wouldn’t get a signal if they breached your system.“That may not work on every device,” Jackson says, but microphone blockers are usually cheap, so if you’re really concerned about hacked mics, it may be worth a shot.