According Kaspersky Lab’s researcher, plugging your Android or iPhone smartphone into a computer leads to entire load of data being exchanged between the two devices, states Mirror. During data exchange between two devices, the phone’s name, manufacturer, device type, serial number, firmware information, O.S information, file system and electronic chip could be also included during the exchange process. Kaspersky claims that the said data is ample for a hacker to hack into a smartphone and acquire control. Experts also claim that the amount of data sent differs depending on the devices, each smartphone transfer the same basic set of information device name, manufacturer name and serial number. Although mobile phone users are advised to use genuine USB charging points and computers such as laptops, PCs and tablets. The researchers were able to install a “root application” without any user interaction by using a regular PC and a standard micro USB cable on a test smartphone, which harmed the device. Securing your mobile phone with a password, or locking your device with fingerprint sensor is also essential to secure your device. Kaspersky says that mobile users should avoid unlocking their devices while they charge it and should also use encryption in order to protect the data of the mobile phone.
