What are Backdoors?

What are Backdoors?

Backdoor, as the name suggests, acts as a hidden gateway to enter a smartphone. In other words, backdoors are a way to bypass authentication of a smartphone and raise privileges so that the attacker can breach the at device any time.

Backdoors allow the attacker to launch remote attacks without having the physical device. A Backdoor can be a completely new program or a part of an existing program. Attackers embed the malicious code in a legitimate program in a hidden manner so that it is executed only when a special environment or condition is met.

Backdoor malware can collect personal information from the phone, send and receive messages, make phone calls and collect call history, collect lists of installed and running applications, create memory space in the device and even root the Android device on which it was installed.

Furthermore, the attacker can use backdoors not only control the infected device but release other malware, such as ransomware, adware and Trojan-Banker to the infected device.

Most of the time, backdoors remain hidden from the user and perform malicious activities in a covert manner. Following key points can be considered to get rid of backdoors on a smartphone:

• Anti-virus scan: It is the easiest way to detect any vulnerability on the device. Anti-virus scan will display a list of vulnerabilities identified on the phone.

• Identify fake apps: Keep a check on the apps installed without your permission. Uninstall them immediately.

• Control apps permissions: Do not agree to the unnecessary permissions requested by an app.

• Do not click on links: as it may lead to downloading malicious apps or malware on your device.