However, if you’re convinced that your iPhone
or iPad has a virus, worm or other form of malware,
read on to find out how to remove it, as well as how
to avoid these problems in the first place.How to find out if your iPhone has got a virus
Technically speaking, a virus is a piece of code that
inserts itself into another program, whereas a worm
is a standalone program in its own right; both seek
to propagate themselves by hijacking messaging
applications or via social engineering.
The iOS platform has seen a number of attacks that
fit the first definition, when attackers have inserted
malicious code into respectable apps or hijacked the
developer tool used to create them. And although
compromised apps should be caught at the App
Store’s approval stage, those who have jailbroken
their devices can download apps from other sources
and may inadvertently install something dangerous.
In either case, however, iOS’s sandbox structure
should prevent the malware attack from getting
access to other applications (in order to spread itself)
or to the underlying operating system.What’s causing the problem?
The main questions when trying to work out what
has happened to your malfunctioning iPhone or
iPad are these:
Have you jailbroken your device? And if so, have
you installed an application from a non-official source
whose authenticity is questionable? If the answer to
both is yes, you may have a malicious piece of softwareHowever,ifyou’reconvincedthatyouriPhone
oriPadhasavirus,wormorotherformofmalware,
read ontofindouthowtoremoveit,aswellashow
to avoid theseproblemsinthefirstplace.
How tofind out if your iPhonehas got a virus
Technicallyspeaking,avirusisapieceofcodethat
insertsitselfintoanotherprogram,whereasaworm
isastandaloneprograminitsownright;bothseek
topropagatethemselvesbyhijackingmessaging
applicationsorviasocialengineering.
TheiOSplatformhasseenanumberofattacksthat
fitthefirstdefinition,whenattackershaveinserted
maliciouscodeintorespectableappsorhijackedthe
developertoolusedtocreatethem.Andalthough
compromisedappsshouldbecaughtattheApp
Store’sapprovalstage,thosewhohavejailbroken
their devicescandownloadappsfromothersources
andmayinadvertentlyinstallsomethingdangerous.
Ineithercase,however,iOS’ssandboxstructure
shouldpreventthemalwareattackfromgetting
accesstootherapplications(inordertospreaditself)
or tothe underlyingoperatingsystem.
What’scausingtheproblem?
Themainquestionswhentryingtoworkoutwhat
has happenedtoyourmalfunctioningiPhoneor
iPad arethese:
Haveyoujailbrokenyourdevice?Andifso,have
youinstalledanapplicationfromanon-officialsource
whoseauthenticityisquestionable?Iftheanswerto
bothisyes,youmayhaveamaliciouspieceofsoftware