I'm looking for some help regarding a tough situation a friend of mine is facing. She's going through a messy divorce with her ex, who works in cybersecurity for the US government. Recently, he's been getting information that only appears on her phone, both through texts and emails. Previously, she thought her phone was compromised while they were together and ended up wiping everything clean. After that, she didn't hear much from him, but then he started to play nice again and got back in contact during his visitation with their child.
Then recently, after sending her some personal videos and photos of their daughter, he suddenly got inside info that could only have come from her phone. They discussed certain details via text or certain apps, and now he's back in the loop. We're planning to have her wipe her phone and reinstall everything fresh instead of restoring from backups.
We're really puzzled about how he's getting this information again. Even though she changed her Apple ID password to a new strong one that he shouldn't be able to guess, we're still unsure how he might be accessing her phone. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
It’s important to remember that just because he works in cybersecurity doesn’t mean he can hack anything he wants. First, make sure to change all passwords, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), and remove any unknown devices associated with her account. It's also smart to change the phone passcode. This should really help tighten security! Sometimes, leaks come from other sources or even by chance, so it’s a good idea to be cautious about what’s shared around.
Good to know about the 2FA! Just make sure there's no way he could have her account password.
You might want to consider that he could be getting information through social engineering – finding out things from mutual friends or family. Be cautious about what details they’re sharing. Also, it’s worth checking if any of her apps or backups have been compromised before.
Check with her phone carrier, as some allow for a "virtual device" which shares the same number and can receive texts. It’s possible he could be using that. And don’t forget to dig deeper into her login credentials; there's a good chance he might have those too.
Thanks for catching that! I should mention that she has 2FA set up already since their split, and there are no other devices connected. We’re worried he might be using something encoded in the shared photos or videos to get back in.