The official spokesperson for the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Mohamed Ibrahim, warned on Sunday of hacker attacks targeting smartphones.
He said that the warning is directed at citizens using phones ranging from 3G to 5G.
During a phone interview with the “Hiya” channel, Ibrahim noted that the majority of phones in Egypt are connected to the internet, and so the entire world has become a global village – which makes phone hacking easier than ever.
The NTRA’s statement aims to raise awareness and protect data transmitted via mobile phones, he said.
He assured that the NTRA continues its efforts to educate users about the digital risks they face daily, which are primarily links from unknown sources and untrusted programs that may arrive as messages on their phones.
Ibrahim pointed out that every citizen should avoid opening any links from unknown sources, as some of these links contain viruses or malware capable of hacking phones or stealing data.
“Therefore we emphasize: Do not open messages from unknown senders,” he said.
Ibrahim urged citizens to create a password for each application or program on their mobile phones, making access difficult, and to link these passwords to their mobile phone numbers so they receive a text message to unlock the application, which will make hacking more difficult.
Most hacks occur through text messages on mobile phones, he said, warning that if a citizen receives a phone call from an international number or any number from a foreign country and does not know the owner, they must not answer the call.
