A person rarely thinks about the fact that they can be spied on through a smartphone camera. The problem lies not only in viruses, but also in seemingly harmless applications. And in order not to face fraudsters, you should carefully check programs, read agreements and regularly clean your smartphone from extraneous files.
Potential risks
Smartphone owners install applications, agreeing to any conditions even without reviewing them, and then they are surprised that they are being followed. But if malware gets on the device, it will take pictures of the smallest possible size unnoticed by a person.
On a device with a high screen expansion, they will be invisible. Meanwhile, this vulnerability would be an excellent opportunity for cybercriminals to take possession of personal photos and user data, which they can then send over the network.
The main signs of surveillance
It is quite difficult to understand that a stranger has connected to a smartphone. In some models, a LED indicates camera operation. If it lights up, it means that someone is taking photos or filming a video.
Unreasonable overheating should also alert the owner of the device, after which it should be checked immediately.
It may have started a background application (e.g. weather, mail), but be vigilant. If no apparent reasons for the processor's operation are found, then it is better to check the phone for viruses and close the camera.
The most reliable ways to protect
Experts of the Roskachestvo laboratory recommend adhering to simple rules that will protect against outside surveillance:
- Cover the front camera with opaque tape or duct tape. This method is used by laptop owners when there is no need for video communication.
- Of course, upon hearing such a recommendation, many will grin, but the development of spy technology forces us to take even such protective measures.
- Don't give too much access to applications.
- If the utility copes well with its tasks and without connecting to a camera, microphone, gallery and other data, then it is better to restrict access to them.
- Do not open suspicious files.
- Fraudsters often use links or files that they send to a person by e-mail, SMS and messages on social networks.
- Update software and antivirus.
- Often, outdated utilities are less efficient and may miss viruses.
- Download applications from trusted sources.
- Official online stores such as the Play Market and the App Store will help you avoid the infection of your smartphone with malware.
Which of these methods will be chosen is up to the user himself. But sometimes, to ensure maximum protection, it makes sense to use several methods at once - it certainly won't be worse.
Espionage in the 21st century has become a problem that even the average Russian citizen faces. Thanks to the evolving electronic technologies, the camera on their smartphone can become a real enemy for a person. To prevent this from happening, you should study the rules of cybersecurity and learn how to apply them in practice.
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