The one way to know your iPad or iPhone has a virus

April 13, 2017

By Kim Komando

We used to think Apple’s iOS gadgets were pretty immune to viruses and malware. Sadly, over the past year, hackers have turned their attention to our mobile gear. Honestly, I’m not surprised at all. Why?

Stop and think about how much of your life is on your iPhone or iPad. Personal photos, contacts, your exact GPS location, your emails and probably much more are all on that handy little gadget you carry around.

Let’s start just with your email: Personal messages, bills from utilities and insurance carriers, and financial communications from your bank and credit cards all land in your inbox. With this info, a hacker can visit your online accounts and request new passwords. And where do those requests go? Right to your email, where the hacker is camping, just waiting for them.

With these keys to your online and financial life, a cybercrook has more than enough to steal your identity, wipe out your accounts and create new ones to ring up thousands in debt that will show up on your credit report … and that lenders will expect you to pay back.

The scary reality is that a virus on your iPad or iPhone can give the bad guys nearly unlimited access to your life. Do I have your attention yet? I hope so!

Jailbreaking

Anyone who uses Apple gadgets probably already knows that Apple runs a pretty tight ecosystem. iOS only runs on Apple hardware and apps are only available from the App Store — unless your gadget is “jailbroken.”

What’s “jailbreaking”? It’s an off-warranty option for tinkerers and techies to unlock under-the-hood options on iOS devices. And jailbreaking your iPhone could do more damage than you bargain for.

For example, a jailbroken app called “KeyRaider” allowed data from more than a quarter-million accounts to be uploaded to a database, including users’ Apple passwords. Scarier still, KeyRaider also lets hackers lock the iPhone or iPad remotely and demand a ransom from the user.

This is yet another reason we strongly encourage you not to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad. KeyRaider primarily affected iPhone users in China, but malware attacks can come anywhere at any time.

So lesson No. 1 is don’t jailbreak your iPhone or iPad. But don’t get too confident yet. Even stock, non-jailbroken Apple gadgets have been vulnerable to hackers.

Malware

As iPads and iPhones have gotten more sophisticated, most users have been pretty confident that their information is secure. But that confidence bubble keeps bursting as we hear more and more cleverly designed malware targeting iPhones and iPads, all of which would be pretty handy for a government trying to crack down on pesky protesters.

Just last year, a major security hole was found that could allow an attacker to take control of an iPhone with just a single text.

This threat, named “Trident” by security firm Lookout and internet watchdog Citizen Lab, can reportedly turn any iPhone into an espionage tool by installing sophisticated spyware.

This exploit chain was uncovered when UAE human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor’s iPhone was targeted with texts containing malicious links. Thankfully, instead of clicking the links, Mansoor forwarded the messages to Citizen Lab researchers.

According to the security researchers, once an iPhone is infected, attackers could turn the device into a “digital spy.” The attackers could then use the iPhone’s camera and microphone to “snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device,” record calls, log messages and texts, and track movement.

The bug was already patched by Apple, but this attack illustrates how a simple message can be used to steal valuable information from iOS users, in this case, sensitive data from an activist.

But if you are unknowingly tricked into installing malware, and you are completely unaware it’s stealing your personal information, how can you tell if your gadget is infected?

How to detect and remove an infection

What have you done with your Apple gadget, and what, if any, symptoms does it have?

First, is your gadget jailbroken? Jailbroken gear bypasses Apple’s tight security, exposing your gadget to whatever hackers think of next — and you probably won’t have to be a Hong Kong protester to get hit. My personal preference is to not jailbreak my Apple gadgets, but if you choose otherwise, be extra careful!

Next, does your phone have any symptoms of an infection? Here are some to check against:

• Data usage: One thing you’ll notice if your gadget is infected with a virus is a large increase in data usage. A virus can eat away at data, so you should compare the last few monthly statements from your cellphone provider. If you notice a huge spike in data usage, there’s a good chance your gadget is infected.
• Crashing apps: If you have a virus on your gadget, apps may no longer function properly, crashing continually while you try using them.
• Popups: While surfing online with Apple’s Safari browser, you might see popup ads all over the place. This could be the result of an infected gadget.

Please know that a quirky app isn’t a sure sign of a malware infection, but if you’ve run apps from third-party app stores or risky websites and they don’t function as expected, err on the side of caution.

If you do suspect your iPad or iPhone may be infected with malware, don’t panic! Just follow these instructions to wipe your gadget clean and start over with factory settings.

1. Use iCloud to backup your device and all personal data on it.
2. Go to Settings > General > Reset.
3. Tap “Erase All Content and Settings” to clear all apps and data from the device.
4. Restart your iOS device and set it up again.
5. Sign in to iCloud when you set up your iOS device and restore your backed-up data.
6. If needed, download your apps again from the App Store.

You can also attach your iPhone or iPad to your Mac and use the “Restore iPhone/iPad” button in iTunes to factory-reset the device. The key to these steps is they clear out all programs on your iOS device, which may have been compromised, and replace them with fresh copies. Your data and files should all be preserved, though you might lose some application settings.

If you suspect restoring your phone to factory settings didn’t do the trick, feel free to take the phone to Apple’s Genius Bar. They have system-scanning software that detects and removes any hidden files.

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