Warning: they may be seeing your smartphone screen from a distance!

Smartphones are no less susceptible to threats than computers. In fact, we should pay much more attention to the safety of this equipment than we do. In fact, we don’t just have to worry about occasional infections. There is an increasingly popular threat that goes unnoticed by many users. This is known as smartphone mirroring. Have you heard of this? In practice, someone could be watching your smartphone screen from a distance. Scary isn’t it?

Warning: they may be seeing your smartphone screen from a distance!

What is smartphone mirroring?

The mirroring of smartphone is the process of transmitting a smartphone screen to another device. In the context of security, the term refers to a computer attack in which what you see on your screen is also seen by the criminal.

In other words, if a criminal mirrors your smartphone’s screen, they will be able to monitor it in real time and access a range of sensitive information. His passwords, photographs, text messages and banking information would be exposed.

Smartphone mirroring attacks can occur through several methods. Even if a criminal cannot physically access your smartphone, they may be able to trick you into installing malicious software that can be used to replicate what you see on your screen. This type of malware can be deployed through seemingly legitimate applications, through phishing emails and links, through Bluetooth, fake public Wi-Fi networks, etc.

Signs that your smartphone is compromised

Having your smartphone screen mirrored without consent would obviously be devastating to your privacy and security, which is why it is crucial to detect this type of attack at an early stage. But how do you know if someone is mirroring your smartphone?

Unknown applications

Are there applications on your smartphone that you don’t remember installing? This could indicate a serious security issue, especially if the application is requiring unusual permissions. Remember that malware is often disguised as seemingly harmless software and legitimate applications are sometimes compromised due to vulnerabilities.

Suspicious account activity

Suspicious activity on your accounts is another sign that your smartphone has been compromised. If a criminal is actually mirroring your device, they may have already accessed your email or online banking account, or at least tried to do so. The vast majority of cybercriminals are motivated by financial gain, so your money is what they are really after.

Overheating

Just as it would cause the battery to drain more quickly, a smartphone mirroring attack would cause the device to overheat. If your phone feels hot to the touch even when you’re not running demanding apps, something is definitely wrong. Furthermore, overheating not only suggests that a cybercriminal is mirroring your smartphone, but it also poses a threat to your phone’s hardware components.

Discharged battery

Typically, malware runs in the background and consumes a lot of resources and processing power, which can have a huge impact on battery life. If a criminal mirrors your smartphone, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that the battery is running out much faster than usual.

Spikes in data usage

However, spikes in mobile data usage are not necessarily a sign of malware infiltration. However, if an attacker mirrors your smartphone, there will likely be a noticeable increase. Either way, if you keep track of your data usage, you should be able to notice the difference right away.

Sudden performance issues

Performance issues in general are definitely something worth paying attention to, especially if the onset of this problem is sudden and quick, and not a result of regular technical issues. So if your smartphone is suddenly freezing, crashing, overheating and having difficulty running applications, someone could be mirroring it.

To be clear, the warning signs described above can indicate a wide variety of threats, not just a mirror image. So if you notice some or most of them, while also receiving notifications that someone is trying to access an account that belongs to you, it is more than likely that you are being targeted.

Don’t panic, but take immediate action. To begin with, you must immediately disconnect your smartphone from the Internet. Call your bank and inform your contacts about what happened. Change your passwords and set up multi-factor authentication on all your accounts.

However, if you are not sure what to do, consider getting professional help. And if you prefer to solve the problem yourself, factory resetting your smartphone may be the best option (but keep in mind that you will lose all data on your device unless you have backed it up).

Therefore, seeing your smartphone’s screen from a distance is a very real danger, so you cannot be too careful.