The 7 Steps to Take if Your iPhone Has Been Hacked

10 Jun

Discovering that your smartphone has been compromised can be a distressing experience. However, understanding the signs of a hacked iPhone and knowing the necessary steps to rectify the issue can help restore your peace of mind. Read on for more info.

The signs of a hacked iPhone

Your iPhone may be hacked if you notice signs such as battery draining faster, unexplained apps appearing, a surge in data consumption, unexplained charges, or reduced performance. These symptoms might indicate that your device has been compromised by malware, a term short for ‘malicious software’ designed to damage or harm a computer system, often masquerading as seemingly innocent software, files, or media.

Types of malware

Malware includes various types such as:

Adware
Banker malware
Ransomware
Rooting
SMS malware
Spyware
Trojan malware
Mobile bot networks

Each of these types functions differently, with some showing frequent ads, attempting to steal banking credentials, monitoring and recording your activity without your knowledge or permission, and even executing DDOS attacks or crypto mining.

How malware infects your iPhone

Your hacked iPhone may have been infected with malware through several methods. These include:

Infected applications usually downloaded from third-party app stores
Malvertising which is distributed by ad networks and appears silently on legitimate site
Scams or phishing where the user is redirected to a malicious web page after clicking on a malicious email, text message, or pop-up screen
Direct-to-device methods which require direct access to the device to download or sideload malware