The world of technology has a dark cloud over it.
Most people run some kind of software on their desktop or laptop to protect them from malicious software, even though security experts warn about the risk.
But what about the phone? Are they also at risk? Here is what you need to know.
The answer is yes, but there is very little risk.
According to Okta's Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy, attacks on iPhones are pretty rare and tend to be isolated to high value attacks, such as those carried out on behalf of nation states.
Raj Samani is the Chief Scientist for McAfee. He says that attacks on phones are less frequent than attacks on phones.
There are so many versions of the OS in the wild that it is the carriers that decide when or if the operating system is patched.
In contrast, Apple device owners update their operating system software far more frequently, and Apple doesn't have to deal with the same amount of OS fragmentation found within the Android community.
The so-called walled garden, another term for Apple's approach to requiring third-party apps and services to be specifically approved and vetting through the App Store, effectively prevents malware from taking control of the entire phone.
The number of potential viruses that could affect an Apple device is small compared to the number of known viruses for PCs.
The threat of iPhone viruses is very real. Samani says that he frequently sees examples of malicious software that is delivered via email or text.
Samani thinks that the most serious threat that iPhones face is fake apps, which pose as legitimate apps for sinister purposes, and phish attacks, which trick users into giving account information to bad actors.
Though the risk to the average user is low, there are still precautions that you can take.
Rogers and Samani recommend avoidingjailbreaking your phone. You can install apps that aren't found in the official Apple App Store if youjailbreak.
Samani says to consider and follow the cyber hygiene measures you would apply to all platforms. Rogers agrees that keeping your phone up to date is important.
Samani recommends that you do not click on suspicious links that you may receive. Rogers says to only install apps from developers you trust.
Rogers suggests that if you feel like you are at risk of iPhone viruses, you should use more than one device and separate your personal and work lives.
Rogers says it is difficult to give specific advice as all viruses are different. Both Samani and Rogers gave some usual signs that you can look out for.
None of these things are definitive and all can be caused by perfectly normal events during usage.
Some apps can help you avoid malicious sites, but they should only be used from trusted vendors as they could be a scam. Some of the apps that are examples of good ones areNorton 360,McAfee Security, and Malwarebytes.
There are some steps that you can take to remove a virus from your phone.
Samani says that it is important to use a legit company and the official app store for additional features.
Clearing your browser data might remove the virus if you believe you got it after clicking on a suspicious link. Here is how to do it.
Other browsers have different directions for clearing their cache. We have a guide on how to clear your cache. To access Clear Private Data, you need to tap on the three horizontal bars in the bottom right.
Rogers says you should try to restore your phone from a previous backup. If that doesn't work, then you should factory reset your device and wipe it clean.
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