Hacking is a general term and is often misused. Traditionally, this term refers to unauthorized access to computer networks. In connection with the iPhone, hacking can be understood as follows: a (unauthorized) access to other people’s personal information stored on the iPhone. Remote monitoring or use of the iPhone without the owner’s approval. Change the way your iPhone works with additional software or hardware.
From a technical point of view, someone who can guess your iPhone password can be a “hacker.” Someone Installing surveillance software on the iPhone to track your activities can also be considered a hacker.
There is also a jailbreak or custom firmware installation action on an iOS device that can also be considered an iPhone hack. However, this is one of the more modern definitions of hacking because it is widely used. There are many users who have “hacked” their own iPhones by jailbreaking to install a modified iOS version to remove the annoying barriers of Apple.
Malware is also another security problem experienced by the iPhone before. Because in addition to software on the App Store, external software is also installed and exploited by zero-day vulnerabilities in Safari. Apple, which allows hackers to install spyware to steal information from people.
Jailbreak is constantly updated and is a cat-and-mouse game between Apple and those who like to edit their iOS. If you keep your device up to date, you may be safe from jailbreak-based attacks. But hacker groups, organizations, and governments are also interested in Apple’s protections, they’re all ready to look for breakthroughs to gain deep access to iOS without notifying Apple and the public.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about iPhone security
Your iPhone cannot be controlled remotely?
Although macOS has a virtual network server (VNC) installed and allows you to control your Mac remotely, iOS does not. Apple does not allow anyone to remotely control the iPhone via remote access apps like TeamViewer.
It means you can’t control someone’s iPhone without cracking it before. There are VNC servers available to allow users to control their jailbroken iPhones remotely, but iOS does not have this feature by default.
iOS uses a powerful licensing system to manage and authorize applications with specific information about the service and the type of permission. When you open or install an app for the first time, you are often notified of permission requests such as iOS’s location service or camera. Literally, these applications will not be able to access these services or information on your device without your permission.
Notably, there is no licensing option available on iOS that allows an external application to have full access to the system. On iOS, each application is separated from the system and operates in a separate sandbox (isolated) secure environment. It prevents apps from potentially harming and affecting the rest of the system, including restricting access to personal information and application data.
However, you need to be wary of the permissions you grant an application. For example, Facebook wants to access your contacts but it doesn’t need to have this permission to work. When you grant information access to an application, it can do anything with that information, including uploading it to another server and storing it there. This seems to have violated the developer agreement with Apple’s App Store, but it is technically possible for apps to do so. Therefore, you need to think and consider carefully when licensing applications.
Apple ID and iCloud security
Your iCloud account (also known as Apple ID) can be more easily hacked from the outside than the iPhone. Because it is like other online accounts, third parties can still silently steal your iCloud login information.
To minimize this risk, you can enable 2-factor authentication (2FA) for Apple ID. To ensure this, go to Settings> your iCloud account name> Password and security and activate 2-factor authentication and set it up (if not already activated). From now on, every time you or someone log into your iCloud account, they will need to add the passcode sent to your device or phone number, which minimizes the risk of account hijacking. Apple ID even if someone else already has the login information.
However, even 2FA is technically vulnerable and they are called Social Engineering attacks – a technique to transfer phone numbers from one SIM to another, allowing hackers to get the last piece to steal Accounts using 2-step authentication. It’s not something that happens easily, but something that shows you still need to be alert even after 2FA is turned on.
Spyware on iPhone
One of the most vulnerable iPhone hacking risks is spyware. These applications invade silently by creating confusion and fear in users and inviting them to install surveillance software on the device. They are often offered to parents in the form of iPhone tracking software for their children.
These apps can’t work on the official iOS app store, so they often require the device to be unlocked. This causes the iPhone to go through security-related steps and poses many potential risks, besides certain applications will not work on jailbroken devices. After an iPhone is cracked and a surveillance application is installed, others can freely review every message or call and even photos on the victim’s iPhone.
Fortunately, these bad apps will not work on new iPhones including Xs, Xr, 11, and SE. They are only available for some jailbroken iOS 13-enabled devices. However, they will constantly strive to be present on newer iPhones. So all you need is to stay alert and refuse to install from untrusted sources outside the App Store.
Wi-Fi can still be hacked
Regardless of what device you’re using, insecure wireless networks are still one of the biggest security threats on mobile devices. Hackers can use the “man in the middle” technique to establish fake, insecure wireless networks to steal information from your traffic.
By analyzing this traffic through packet sniffing (called packet sniffing), hackers can see the information that you send and receive. If this information is not encrypted, it can be easily extracted with sensitive information such as your login password or credit card number.
Therefore, be alert and stay away from insecure Wi-Fi networks in public places. For added security, encrypt the traffic on your iPhone via the VPN protocol.
know that even though iPhone has been known as a strong security device thanks to the closedness of the software and hardware ecosystem. However, no device is perfect when it comes to security.