How cybercriminals use phishing and other tricks to

hack smartphones
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New Delhi, Feb. 13 -- Since the Covid-19 pandemic, hackers have been focusing more and more on smartphones,
with over a million phishing and social engineering assaults recorded over the last six months, as per various
reports. Smartphones are the primary way by which we access our multiple digital accounts and services such as
social media, email, apps, SMS', etc. The increasing complexity of phishing scams means that even the most
vigilant and tech-savvy users are susceptible to assaults. As a consequence, cybercrime has grown into a
multibillion-dollar industry. Getting to solve this problem would benefit companies and customers immensely.
Cyber criminals &digital fraudsters are not only focusing on phones with poor security or taking advantage of
vulnerabilities, they also use these in combination with an understanding of the end users like you and me. They are
aware of our mental processes and what we want to accomplish and customise their attacks accordingly.
Hackers use phishing attacks via fake emails to trick users into clicking a fraudulent link, opening an attachment,
submitting sensitive information, or sending money. Apart from emails, SMS, instant messages (IMs), WhatsApp
messaging and other kinds of electronic communication, some of them might seem to come from a trusted source,
are also used for such assaults. Phishing Links lead you to malicious websites which are designed to steal your
personal information or otherwise compromise your smartphone.
Targeted mobile phishing attempts may easily damage a business's security too. This is because more and more
individuals are making business calls from their personal cell phones. Due to the pandemic, the workforce across
the world entered the remote-work realm. Today, it's not uncommon to use the same mobile device for both
personal and professional purposes.
The hacker exploits our weakness much like a foreign organism using a weakened immune system. Last year,
human error was responsible for over 82% of data breaches, and that percentage is only expected to rise, as
reported by Help Net Security. In order to take advantage of those who have grown dependent on their mobile
devices, hackers have created more of mobile-based defrauding techniques. Instances of Tap-jacking, app-spoofing
and screen-overlays are on the rise. Behind all these attacks is the human urge to proceed with speed on the next
step by quickly clicking on a link or notification which could actually be fake or deceptive.
Majority of us, when we hear the term cybersecurity, we tend to think about how to protect ourselves against
hackers who take advantage of technical flaws in order to target data networks. However, there is still another entry
point into critical databases or networks of organisations, and that is, via exploiting the frailties of individuals. This is
a sort of deception that is referred to as "social engineering" and it is used to trick individuals into disclosing sensitive
information or giving up access to computer networks. Because they prey on human frailties like curiosity, respect
for authority, fear (of bank a/c getting blocked or losing electricity connection), and the desire to aid friends and
family, social engineering assaults are notoriously tough to defend against.
Protecting yourself against phone hacking is a matter of basic sense, but there are steps you can do to mitigate the
risk. 'Awareness, Alertness and Agility' are the elementary mantras. Moreover, there are sophisticated approaches
to guarantee the highest level of security for your phone, such as putting an antivirus in your mobile, adding
passwords to all applications, and avoiding phishing emails.
You may take extra precautions to protect your mobile devices by installing mobile security solutions that provide
encrypted online surfing and continuous protection against phishing attempts. If you are a mobile-app provider

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enterprise, it is advisable to get a RASP (Runtime App Self Protection) based solution plugged into your mobile app
before you offer it to your customers.
This will ensure real time defense against spyware, malware, screen-mirroring, key-logging, spoofing etc. which are
the main aims with which fraudsters carry out phishing and social engineering. The incorporation of cutting-edge
mobile endpoint and application security into business practices is not the ultimate frontier, but rather the start of a
new era.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from TechCircle.

DETAILS

Business indexing term: Subject: Smartphones

Subject: Internet crime; Malware; Engineering; Smartphones; Hackers; Network security;

Pandemics; Phishing

Publication title: TECHCiRCLE; New Delhi

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: Feb 13, 2023

Publisher: HT Digital Streams Limited

Place of publication: New Delhi

Country of publication: India, New Delhi

Publication subject: Business And Economics--Investm ents, Technology: Comprehensive Works

Source type: Magazine

Language of publication: English

Document type: News

ProQuest document ID: 2775543176

Document URL: https://www.proquest.com/magazines/how-cybercriminals-use-phishing-other-tricks-

hack/docview/2775543176/se-2?accountid=31551

Copyright: Copyright HT Digital Streams Limited Feb 13, 2023

Last updated: 2023-02-13

Database: ABI/INFORM Collection

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