Has your smartphone been hacked? Battery drain, app woes to data spike, five signs to look out for and how to stop it

Do you notice unrecognised and suspicious popups while browsing well-known websites like Google or Twitter? If you are seeing these ads while browsing the web or using your phone, you may have been infected with adware. — 123rf

Smartphone hacking scenes are a common occurrence in many movies. Also, many people tend to believe that only famous people get hacked. However, that is not the case. There is a clear and present danger for everyone. Ordinary people too have their smartphones hacked on a regular basis, and some remain unaware of the malware for a very long time.

Some find out only when they realise they have suffered a major loss. So, if your smartphone has been hacked, the danger is very real and includes loss of data, misuse of the device's processing power, loss of financial details and much more. In fact, hackers can even remotely turn on your cameras!

However, once a smartphone has been hacked, there are certain signs that could indicate it has been compromised. Users must play close attention to these details to ensure they do not have to suffer any loss. While these are not foolproof methods, and you should definitely take your device to an expert, the following pointers can give you a fair idea of whether your phone's security has been compromised.