How can I tell if my phone has been hacked?

k5yf wrote:

Recently there was a "bloom" of activity in device "port-outs." In this scenario your device is "ported out" (hijacked) using only the assigned number of the phone. This allowed those in control of your device complete access to your cloud storage and much more.

Again, no. Porting-out is just the assignment or movement of a phone number. The activity of port-outs you refer to, did happen, but after the number was ported, which just means it was assigned to a different sim card, the perpetrators could then use it to try to get access to other services by posing as the victim through their number, but it requires much more work to actually access things like iCloud.

Just getting a number ported does no in any way shape or form, immediately grant anyone access to "iCloud and much more". This of course is also in no way shape or form the hacking of an iPhone. Getting a number ported is not hacking an iPhone at all. And since porting requires the actual assistance of the cell carrier anything you do on your device is largely irrelevant.

It merely lets the perpetrator have access to the number they "ported".

Getting into someone's iCloud would take much more work. beyond having a number. Apple is always increasing security measures to protect iCloud, and people's data there. If you just wander around the forums you can find tons of posts about people trying to access an iCloud account, and its definitely not easy, even when you have the device.

There's easier ways to access someone's iCloud account than through port outs if that's the end goal, and again neither involve the actual remote hacking of an iPhone.

Again, this is just fear mongering.

And if we are just flashing credentials, I've been in IT security and information protection services for over 20 years.

Remotely accessing and controlling a device which would be what "hacking and iPhone" would need to be, is not yet trivial to do, and requires a lot of work, time, equipment and knowledge to actually accomplish.

While security of one's device is something that needs to be done sure. Telling people their entire device is out there for the world to see at a flick of a button is not even remotely true. There are many ways to get to people's information that does not require hacking a device.

iOS is still considered by the entire IT security community as one of the most secure operating systems out there. It's not all fine, securing your devices and guarding against potential scams is always recommended, but assuming or telling people their iPhone is going to get hacked anywhere you go, in 2 seconds; that is just ludicrous and ridiculous.

There is no known method of remotely hacking an iPhone, so unless someone had physical possession of the device and a computer, it has very likely not been hacked.

Even the FBI was unable to access a locked iPhone and had to get the services of an IT company to access the device, and it took them 2 weeks to gain access.

Why do you think your iPhone is hacked?

Contrary to what others have said, it IS possible to hack a phone remotely. It communicates via industry standard radio frequencies and it is a simple matter to hijack your phone with relatively inexpensive equipment. In other words, if the information on your phone is valuable, and/or you have a nefarious friend/spouse/mate/employer/whatever, it is trivial to hire it done.

IF you need truly private communications there are apps in the iTunes app store to help you.

Good luck.

k5yf wrote:

Contrary to what others have said, it IS possible to hack a phone remotely. It communicates via industry standard radio frequencies and it is a simple matter to hijack your phone with relatively inexpensive equipment. In other words, if the information on your phone is valuable, and/or you have a nefarious friend/spouse/mate/employer/whatever, it is trivial to hire it done.

IF you need truly private communications there are apps in the iTunes app store to help you.

Good luck.

No its not. If it were that trivial to do, the FBI would not have paid a private firm millions of dollars to get into a shooter's phone (which incidentally took them around 2 weeks with the phone in hand to accomplish), and more recently a firm proclaiming they had indeed found a way to access an iPhone, also specifically requires the phone physically on their possession:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2018/02/26/government-can-access-any -apple-iphone-cellebrite/#708af2ef667a

For the general user, they should be aware that the unlocks require physical access to the device. Cellebrite doesn't do such work remotely. And, of course, it's always a cat and mouse game where Apple is continually patching iOS in response to vulnerabilities emerging, so it could close the holes at some point in the future. Users are, generally, advised to download the latest operating system to stand the best chance of remaining secure.

There is absolutely no evidence of any remote hack ever being successfully completed on an iPhone. Just because it communicates via industry standard does not mean its vulnerable.

While a physical hack has been proven, its definitely not a trivial matter, and much less so remotely.

This is just fear mongering of the worst kind unless you can actually prove the iPhone can be hacked remotely, with no physical access to it.

As background for my comment: In 1987 I began my career in the telecommunications industry designing infrastructure equipment to be used in what was then called the DDS (Digital Data Services) network.

My comment was meant to be helpful. Each INDIVIDUAL is responsible for the security of their phone and should know that no device is completely secure. Every device that is offered for sale or lease by license from the FCC is required to perform certain functions. Perhaps we should consider that career professionals within federal law enforcement and national security have an interest in what "functions" every device offered for sale will have.

Recently there was a "bloom" of activity in device "port-outs." In this scenario your device is "ported out" (hijacked) using only the assigned number of the phone. This allowed those in control of your device complete access to your cloud storage and much more.

Just do what you can, everything you can, to protect your mobile devices and the data on them. Don't make it easy for the criminals, and don't listen to people who tell you, out of hand, "Everything is fine."

Let's see the topic from the other side: why do you think your iPhone has been hacked?

It probably hasn't been hacked but you have some feature enabled that would explain errant behavior. If you tell us what is happening then we can address that .