The mere act of shutting down your iPhone will not secure your device from hacker attacks, even though experts suggest that the majority of people should not be worried about it.
iPhones could be vulnerable to security threats even when shut off. If the power is off wireless chips, such as Bluetooth function in low-power mode. Criminals can use malware to exploit this low-power mode.
“When a user shuts down their device through the phone’s menu or power button, they have a reasonable belief that all the processors are shut down, but that is not the case,” claims Alex Alexakis, the creator or the founder of Pixel Chefs. “FindMy is a good example. It is able to function even when devices are shut down. This requires the use of processors.”
iPhones that have become zombies
Low-Power Mode (LPM) which provides near-field communications ultra-wideband, near-field communication, as well as Bluetooth was studied by researchers.
The researchers stated in their paper they found that “the existing LPM implementation on Apple iPhones is unclear and introduces additional vulnerabilities.” “LPM support isn’t removed through system upgrades since it relies on iPhone’s hardware. This means that it can significantly affect the entire security model of iOS. According to our research, we are the only ones to study the undocumented LPM features that are included with iOS 15 and find several issues.”
Modern mobile devices consist of various computer processors. If you are using a smartphone, it is the app processor (AP) along with the baseband processors are the ones who interact more (BP).
When your mobile is off, don’t be concerned about threats. The good news is that threats that target standby CPUs that function even when the device is off are only a theoretical possibility.
Additionally, unless you’re likely to be attacked by a nation-state adversary, for instance, if you’re a human rights activist or journalist who is critical of an oppressive government, you’re not likely to encounter the same kind of circumstance. Don’t be fooled into thinking that your cell phone will never be completely disconnected in the event that you’re a potential enemy of the nation-state.
Defending Yourself
It’s more than one push of the power button to ensure that your phone’s information is secure from hackers as per Jason Wise, the chief editor of Earth Web.
The only way to truly ensure your security is to set up the Faraday cage. It removes the signals coming from your phone.
“The issue is that the vast majority of people will never use one,” he said. “They are uninspiring because they block your phone from being able to communicate. There’s no way for you to get notified via text or phone calls, or via social media, and the majority of people would put their lives at risk to be able to use them. I use it to travel, but I’m hoping to use it more often in the near future.”
