Mobile hacking has emerged as the most common type of cybercrime being committed all across the world. Mobile hacking is the unethical and illegal practice of manipulating or gaining unauthorized access to mobile phones such as intercepting phone calls, accessing voicemail and data messages, accessing phone banking and net banking IDs and passwords as well as any other data stored in the mobile device.
INDIA TV, the leading Hindi news channel of the country, will air a special show on “mobile hacking” at 8pm today. Watch the special show to understand the threats of mobile hacking and its implications.
In this special show of INDIA TV, ethical hacker and CEO of Lucideus Tech Saket Modi will explain to the audience how mobile phones can be hacked and how a mobile user can protect his/her devices from hackers, in the presence of Union Minister for Information and Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Saket Modi, an authority on cybersecurity and mobile hacking, will explain in detail how mobile hackers can trespass into mobile devices and access mobile wallets, mobile apps including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, phone banking and net banking apps and even laptops.
In India, hacking has been defined under section 66 of The Information Technology Act, 2000.
"Whoever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters any information residing in a computer resource or diminishes its value or utility or affects it injuriously by any means commits hacking, " says the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Under Information Technology Act, 2000, hacking is a crime which entails punishment including imprisonment for three years or fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees or both.
A mobile hacker is a person who trespasses a mobile device. Hackers are of different types ranging from code hackers to crackers to cyber punks to freaks. While some hackers just enjoy cracking mobile devices and gaining access to them as an ordinary pastime with no intent to commit any further crime, there are others who indulge in hacking on behalf of clients for monetary gains.
A hacker can use any hole in your smartphone to attack you and install a spyware on it. Once he gets inside a smartphone, he can change and create emails, texts, SMSs, videos, photos, notes and credit and debit card information.
A hacker can try to get malicious software into your smartphone’s system through many ways; e.g. android apps that seek various kinds of permission including GPS access; unofficial apps, especially if they look like free copies of popular premium apps; Bluetooth, emailing/texting a malicious link, offering a free wireless hot spot, phone-charging kiosk in public spaces like airports, restaurants or parks can be converted into a hacking device by putting a system inside it; sending texts with odd and strange characters.
According to a report by ESET, an IT security company that offers anti-virus and firewall products, Android is not only the market leader in Mobile OS but the most attacked as well. A Kaspersky Security report had said in that ninety-nine percent of newly discovered mobile malicious programs target the Android platform.
Mobile security experts suggest following ways to protect your Android devides from getting hacked - Lock your screen with a Pin or password, install 'App Lock' to protect individual apps, don’t store sensitive information like phone banking or net banking details on a removable SD card as it is easier for attackers to access data from SD card. Experts advise to store such datas in internal memory with strong password.
