Your iPhone may have been HACKED – three ways to fix ‘infected phone’

IF your iPhone is laden with malware, then here are three ways you can fix it.

Malware can infect your phone using multiple avenues – here’s what you need to know.

1

What is malware?

Malware is a file or code that can infect your phone to steal your data or even control your electronic device.

It can infect your phone through malicious apps, compromised emails, or non-secure WiFi or internet connections.

In some cases, users may even receive a text message that redirects them to a malicious link if they tap on it.

What can malware do to my phone?

If your phone gets infected with malware, a number of things can happen depending on the type of malicious activity.

For example, ad malware inundates your device with ads in the form of pop-ups.

Banker malware targets your sensitive banking information.

Spyware monitors and records information about your activity on your device without your knowledge or permission.

And ransomware demands money from you in exchange for the files or the functionality of the devices being ‘held hostage’.

What are signs my phone’s been infected?

There are several red flags that your device has been compromised by malware.

For starters, if your phone’s battery drains faster or you receive a lot of pop-up ads, that could be some tell-tale signs.

Furthermore, if you find your device is full of unexplained apps, it may be infected.

A surge in data consumption reduced performance, and unexplained charges are also indications of malware.

How can I rid my phone of malware?

There are several techniques you can use to rid your device of most types of malware.

For starters, you can restart your iPhone to the factory setting, which will eliminate malware on your device.

However, it’s important to remember to not back up your information to the cloud before doing this, as you might upload the malware as well.

You can start the process by heading to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Then, select Erase all contents and settings. 

Another option to rid your iPhone of malware is to restore your device to a previous version from iCloud backup.

However, this should only be performed if you can safely assume when the malware hit your phone.

To do this, first, erase all of your phone’s content (see above).

And then when setting it up again, select Restore from iCloud Backup – remember to choose the dates wisely.

Another good way to rid your phone of malware is to simply uninstall the suspicious-looking apps.

To prevent your device from getting compromised again, you’ll want to make sure that it is updated with the latest iOS.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk