Hackers Can Tell What You Are Typing On Your Smartphone

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  via Giphy

  On August 15, researchers at SMU's Darwin Deason Institute for Cybersecurity discovered that hackers can tell what keys you are using when typing on your laptop or smartphone. Yes, even your smartphone. They are able to tell which key you are using through the sound that each key gives: its 'acoustic signals' or 'sound waves.' 

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  via Giphy

  In order to observe this information, researchers at the university conducted an experiment. The researchers created a simulated office-like environment, with keyboard clacking and murmuring in the background, and had a hacker intercept the sound waves coming from the smartphone as someone typed on it. 

  The hackers were able to pick up what was typed with 41% accuracy, which may be able to be increased if hackers can estimate what the top ten words will be.  

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  via Teach Privacy

  But how are hackers able to hear through our smartphone speakers? Well, as science-fiction-y as it sounds, our phones are always listening to us through a plethora of sensors that are always on. So if your smartphone is sitting next you on the table as you type on your laptop, those sensors can pick up what keys you are pressing. Even if there's background noise. And unfortunately, there's no way to tell if you're being hacked like this. 

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  via Reddit

  So, if there's no way to tell if you are being hacked, how on earth can you protect yourself? For starters, you can take a leaf out of grandma's book and cover your desk with a pretty table cloth. Perhaps a doily. The software the hackers use deciphers which keys you are hitting through the sound and vibrations coming through the table, so having a table cloth will damped these vibrations. 

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  via Teach Privacy

  Although the likelihood of being hacked like this seems improbable, this hacking technique, used in conjunction with other information-gathering techniques, could prove to be very dangerous. Data breaches are not rare; since 2013, 14,717,618,286 data breaches have been lost or stolen, and 86% of those occurred in North America. Have a look at the worst data breaches ever and the companies affected - there's a possibility your information may have already been leaked. That's why it's always a good idea to regularly update your password. 

   

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  via Wiffle GIF

  Smartphones are the most coveted treasures for hackers. They are with us literally all the time and they store so much more information about us than we realize. But if you're not ready to throw your smartphone into a lake and live off-grid, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from hackers. 

  • Keep your phone's operating system up to date. Hackers take advantage of vulnerabilities in operating systems that aren't up to date. 
  • Never use public WiFi. 
  • Use strong passwords that will be hard for hackers to guess. Make sure your password isn't on this list. 
  • Be aware of spam and phishing emails. Don't click any links inside them. 
  • Install antivirus apps on your smartphone and use them regularly. 
  • Never use public chargers. 
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  via Giphy

  So, is it all bad news? Yes and no. Professionals think that in the near future, smartphone manufacturers will take this new information into account and enhance the privacy regarding the sensors that always 'listen'. 

  So before you don a tin foil hat, revise the ways you use the internet and make sure you're being smart about it. And if you're still not sure, give the tin foil hat a try. Or throw your phone in a lake. Whatever works for you. 

  
  

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