It’s one of the worst feelings in the world having your computer hacked, hit with a virus and losing all your work. Now, think of how that would be if it was your smartphone.

Most of us don’t really think of having our phone’s hacked, but it happens more than you’d think. It’s why we need antivirus software on our devices more than ever before, and there are plenty of brands offering it.

The two big guns, Norton and Kaspersky have fantastic mobile offerings with the same sort of features you would find on the desktop. In fact, it perhaps says how rife mobile hacking can be with how competitive the Kaspersky vs Norton battle is within the security market.

There’s no doubt that antivirus software will help protect you from mobile hacking, but chances are you don’t have any at this moment in time. Which could leave you vulnerable.

You’ll find some sure signs that you’ve been hacked, with a number of strange happenings on your phone worth taking note of. Below you’ll find some of the symptoms a smartphone will show when it’s been hacked…

A Draining Battery

 If your battery is draining much quicker than it usually does, it could well be a factor of you being hacked.

There may be malware running in the background, monitoring your every move as you access your bank, emails and social media accounts, typing in passwords to each one.

Spotting this is vital and if you do notice your phone draining quickly, avoid entering any personal details into your device.

Your Data Is High

We tend to use the same amount of data every month, or at least a fairly similar amount. If your data usage is showing a huge fluctuation, and you have no real reason as to why that’s happened, again it could signify something is running in the background.

The data usage will be high because malware is transmitting your data to another and could uncover almost anything you’ve been entering into your phone.

Smartphone App Malfunctions

 You have to be seriously careful about the apps you download, particularly if you’re using an Android operating system.

Because of Android’s open network, apps are more likely to have malware built in, meaning you could be downloading something that will harm your phone with no knowledge of it whatsoever.

Be careful in what you do download and only trust recognizable brands and apps you can find positive reviews of online.

It’s so incredibly important we take note in a bid to beat the hackers. While we certainly won’t be falling for the Nigerian Prince routine anymore, downloading an app can be just as devastating to your phone.

Antivirus for mobile won’t set you back much money but can be a real lifesaver, particularly as there is more information on our phones than ever before. They’re our lifeblood these days, our personal assistants. So, let’s treat them right.