Can you trust your mobile security?

Mobile security is one of our primary concerns because our mobile holds sensitive personal data and highly confidential business data. We must care for our mobile privacy.

Few inventions have impacted our lives like the smartphone. The convenience of connecting to the internet anytime, anywhere, has so many advantages. There are mobile applications for just about anything we can think of. It seems like every day a new app is introduced to do even more amazing things. With all that power in your pocket, mobile security is paramount.

It is estimated that over 2.5 billion smartphones are hacked each year, about 158 accounts every second, and many apps were found as spyware. With so many insider threats on mobiles, anyone should ask himself, how secure is my android phone (or iPhone)? Or the question should be, is my phone spying on me?. With so much sensitive data on your phone, you should be concerned about how secure that data is. This article is going to examine how hackers operate and how you can protect your mobile device from internal and external threats.

It is important to be aware of the dangers that exist and how you can circumvent attacks by hackers. Knowledge is empowerment. Know the facts so that you can be one step ahead in protecting the information on your mobile.

How can Hackers Hack your Phone?

Spyware, like Pegasus, has become big news. With products like this, it is possible for governments, terrorists, and criminals to gain unprecedented access to your smartphone. Your passwords, phone calls, and text messages are not private if your smartphone has been hacked. With sophisticated spyware, hackers can even access your smartphone camera remotely, reveal your exact GPS location, or record conversations.

While Pegasus is highly sophisticated, and not available to just anyone, it is relatively easy for common criminals to hack an unprotected mobile device.

We all know how easy it is to obtain and install an app on a smartphone, even if you have the most secure smartphone, you just download, install and approve all app’s permissions (most people are doing so). Unfortunately, it is just as easy for people with malicious intent to do the same. Hacking apps are readily available online, some are free. The easy availability of hacking apps places an even higher emphasis on the need to protect your mobile.

You may be aware of some methods used by hackers to gain access to the data on your mobile, spy on your location, listen in on calls, read emails and text messages, or view your most intimate pictures. Some of them may be unknown to you. To gain a basic understanding of how your mobile could be hacked, here’s a basic overview of the ways that a smartphone or tablet could be hacked:

• Hacking Software: There is a myriad of options available to hackers using software to access your phone and they are becoming ever more sophisticated. Spyware, like keylogging, can track everything you do on your mobile phone, from recording the keystrokes when you send a text and enter passwords, to recording your calls and tracking your location. Malware, like a trojan, is software hidden on your phone that sends information to hackers. They can access documents saved on your device, your contacts, and files.

• Phishing Attack: In order to gain access to your mobile, most hacking software requires you to initiate the download and installation of the malware. Phishing, the biggest threat to privacy, is a method employed by hackers to trick people into doing this. The hacker may send an email or text message that appears to be from an official source. This will include a link or file that you tap to open. By doing this, you unwittingly allow the hacker to install malware on your device. Phishing attacks increased during the COVID-19 Pandemic time since people were spending many hours online and exposing themself unknowingly to hackers’ links.

• SS7 Hacking: Signal System 7 (SS7) is the protocol used by telephone exchanges to connect networks. Basically, it is used to identify your phone using your phone number. This is used to connect your phone to the network when you make a call or send a text. Hackers, able to access the SS7 system (thus control the entire network), can listen in on calls and read text messages sent over the entire network. This cyber threat exposes local and roaming users to eavesdropping attacks.

• Hacking a SIM card: By impersonating the owner of a SIM card, hackers will contact the service provider for a SIM swap. The SIM in your phone will be deactivated and the hacker will hijack your phone number. They will have full access to incoming calls, voice mail, and text messages that you receive. Simjacker is a more sophisticated method of hacking a SIM card. A text message, containing a spyware code, is sent to the targeted mobile phone. Once opened, the code will hijack the SIM card in your phone, instructing it to send information to the Hacker’s device.

• Bluetooth Hacking: Using a Bluetooth connection, the hacker will gain access to your mobile phone. The hacker needs to be close enough to establish a Bluetooth connection, like in a coffee shop where everyone sits next to each other. The connection will provide the hacker with access to all the information on your phone.

• USB Hacking: commonly referred to as juice jacking, hackers can access your data through the USB port on the phone. This can be achieved by connecting to public USB charging facilities, like those found on buses and planes. The USB port can pose a security risk if data transfer is not disabled.

• Malicious Injection: Malicious code injection, or remote code execution (RCE), exploits input validation software flaws. Without the correct security measures to block malicious injection, a hacker can access the code on your server and input malicious data. The data can be transferred through various input methods, like form fields, cookies, or file uploads over an insecure public Wi-Fi network connection. You may be completely unaware of malicious activity originating from an attack like this.

How Do You Protect Your Phone From Hackers?

Given the real threat of mobile hacking, we need to be aware of the danger and take the necessary measures to prevent it. Good mobile security practices are the first step to ensuring that the information on your mobile device is safe.

Basic mobile security simply means developing good habits with regard to how you use your mobile phone in a safe way to prevent cyber attacks from the open Internet. There are also more proactive measures that can be used to ensure a higher level of mobile security for better privacy. Depending on how highly you regard the sensitive data on your device, any of the following mobile protection techniques are recommended:

• Keep your phone safe: Mobile security 101 is simple, keep your phone with you at all times and keep it locked with a strong password. Activate the SIM lock on your device. One of the easiest ways for hackers to infiltrate your phone is through direct access.

• Mobile Data Encryption: Many Android devices have automatic data encryption. It is advisable to check the default security settings to verify that your device is encrypted.

• Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: To prevent hackers from gaining access through a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection, or even revealing your approximate location, turn these off when not in use. In public areas, covered by public Wi-Fi networks, where it is more likely that an attack like this may occur, always check that your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is disabled. When you are roaming over an expensive cellular network and need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network (coffee shop, hotel) then use VPN encryption to protect your data.

• Security Protection: One of the best ways to ensure that your mobile is safe from hacker attacks is to install a security app. There are free apps available but for complete protection, that is regularly updated, you will need a more advanced app like the Harmony Mobile security app for the best protection of your smartphone device and your online data.

The Ultimate Mobile Security Solution!

To ensure the greatest protection from hackers, installing mobile security software is the best option. With so many secure mobile apps available to you, it’s understandable that you may have some difficulty making a decision.

What is the best secure mobile app? The answer to this question is not straightforward. You will get a different answer depending on who you ask. Finding the best secure mobile solution will also depend on your individual needs.

For most people, secure online shopping and banking is the greatest concern.

If you’re a professional with highly sensitive data on your smartphone device, and your smartphone security is crucial to your business, you will require a greater level of mobile security than the average user. Apart from protecting files that contain propriety information, you may need protection against spyware that allows hackers to record confidential meetings or access messages. This means using the best mobile security available built by cyber security experts.

IronTel is no stranger to telecommunication security. For more than 25-years, Secure IronTel has been a leader in secure telecommunication solutions.

With a wealth of experience and high-level expertise, IronTel is in a perfect position to offer mobile security solutions to businesses, government agencies, and individuals.

Many mobile security apps claim to be the best, not all deliver on this promise. Few have dedicated professionals, with the specific telecommunication security expertise required to provide complete security and privacy.

Unlike software developers who have adapted their products to provide internet security for mobile devices, IronTel has a wealth of experience in telecommunication security and privacy. This knowledge and expertise are invaluable when you require top security for mobile devices.

For the best fully comprehensive mobile protection, IronTel is unbeatable. They offer multilayer mobile security, by protecting the device’s USB and BlueTooth ports (blocking hackers’ access), safeguarding the operating system with the top Samsung Knox security platform (from boot up to user interface), and inspecting applications continually to reject Spywares (insider threat), encrypting conversations end-to-end, and securing the line of communication over a strong VPN connection (protecting from home/office/hotspot Wi-Fi networks hackers).

IronTel specializes in providing the highest level of security for the best advanced Samsung mobile phones. There can be no comparison between the generic security software and IronTel multi-layered security, which is developed exclusively by security experts for the device that is installed on.

If average simply isn’t good enough for you, talk to the specialists. There are few service providers that understand telecommunication security like IronTel. It is this deeper understanding that is crucial when offering the type of security required by security experts who regard communication security and privacy as paramount.

For some, mobile security may be a secondary concern. If you’re serious about mobile security and cannot settle for anything but the best, there really is only one viable option. Check what IronTel has to offer in terms of high-level mobile security and decide for yourself. It may be the most crucial decision you make. There really can be no compromise when it comes to protecting your important data and privacy.

Subscribe