How to protect yourself from Apple's security hole
photo courtesy: theday.co.uk
Apple pushed out another important update for its iOS 9 operating system, addressing serious security holes before the release of iOS 10.
A pair of U.S. cybersecurity firms, called Citizen Lab, announced the discovery of 3 vulnerabilities in the Apple iPhone operating system. The security vulnerability allow attackers to take full control of iPhones with a single click.
“One of the most sophisticated pieces of cyber-espionage software we’ve ever seen,” according to Mike Murray, VP of research mobile security company, Lookout.
This software was able to intercept messages from people using any number of apps, including Gmail and WhatsApp, because of the sophistication of the attack.
You can update your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Here are some ways to protect yourself, if another breach (knock on wood) should happen to you:
Ways Your Phone Could Be Breached:
1. Use of Unsecure Wi-Fi
Using public wifi in airports, cafes, coffeeshops, etc can leave your device extremely unsecure. With a few clicks of a button, hackers can view everything you are doing.
2. Operating System Flaws
Device manufacturers release operating systems frequently to fix bugs. Once updates are released, hackers know about vulnerabilities the old systems have and attempt to breach out-of-date devices.
3. Malicious Apps
Apps may increase the functionality of your smart phone. But with more applications, put your phone more at risk. Lower this risk by limited the number of apps you download. Also, be mindful of who the app's developers are.
Signs Your Phone Could Be Hacked without Your Knowledge:
1. Your phone will start sending SMS texts to a premium rate number
2. Unusual date access patterns
3. Antivirus isn't running
4. Fast battery life failure
How to Protect Yourself:
1. Have a sufficient password and use encryption.
2. Make sure you are downloading and running the latest software updates, including the latest updates on your apps.
3. Download third party apps with caution
4. Surf Smarter. Always prefer the extra secure 'https' sites.
5. Don't use public wifi when conducting important personal matters (esp. finances, logins, etc.)
6. Consider security software