I’m a security expert – red icon is eerie sign that your iPhone has secretly been hacked
SIX sinister signs can signal that your iPhone has been invaded by criminals – and one is a red icon.
Cyber-experts have revealed the “red flags” that all iPhone users should look out for.
A tech expert at cybersecurity service Clario revealed what to look out for.
Clario noted that iPhones can get viruses “but it’s highly unlikely”.
“As long as you don’t jailbreak your iPhone and update the operating system regularly, the chances of contracting a virus are low.
“However, while the possibility of catching a virus is slim, your device is still vulnerable to other cybersecurity threats.
“Therefore, you should know the best ways to protect it and how to tell if your phone has a virus if your protection measures fail.”
The six signs of an iPhone ‘infection’
First of all, many of these signs could have another explanation besides hacking.
So while you should look out for the clues of a hack, don’t immediately assume your device has been compromised if you notice one.
Instead, see one or more of these signs as a good reason to investigate your iPhone to find out what’s going wrong.
The first sign is when you see the red “temperature” icon appear.
This is a full-screen pop-up that reads: “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.”
You’ll normally only see this on very hot days or if there’s a problem with your battery.
“But, in rare cases, it could indeed be a sign of a virus,” Clario explained.
The second sign is when the battery is draining more quickly than usual.
“Irregular battery drainage can be caused by power-hungry apps or wear and tear due to age,” Clario said.
“That said, there is a chance, however slim, that a piece of malware is working in the background without your knowledge.”
Go into your Settings > Battery page to review what’s causing the sudden spike in battery usage.
The third sign is if you’re being inundated with pop-ups.
A constant flurry of “invasive” pop-ups whenever you’re using your iPhone could be a sign of an infection.
Fourthly, you should look out for mysterious spikes in cellular data usage.
You can check this in your Settings to see if anything strange is happening that you can’t explain.
“Look out for a sudden rise in your cellular data usage that cannot be explained by your regular iPhone use,” Clario advised.
“And if nothing else, keeping a close eye on your data usage is just plain common sense.”
Fifth is when you see apps you don’t recognise.
If you don’t remember installing an app that’s on your iPhone, it’s “one big red flag”.
Consider deleting it if you can’t see any good reason why it’s on your device.
Finally, a key sign your phone is compromised is if it’s “jailbroken”.
Jailbreaking your device can allow you to customise it more deeply and install apps from outside of the Apple App Store.
But it also removes many of the protections designed to keep you safe.
Jailbreaking an iPhone is always risky, so you’ll need to be extra vigilant – and consider not doing it in the first place.
“While we get why, just know that if you have a jailbroken iPhone, the chances are higher that you might have unwittingly invited a piece of malicious software, called a worm, into your device at one time or another,” Clario warned.
“The presence of a worm is significantly more likely if you’re witnessing odd behavior on your iPhone, such as apps redirecting you to dodgy-looking web pages.”
Clario recommended deleting suspicious apps and restoring from an earlier safe back-up if you think your jailbroken device has been compromised.