Can you be hacked while using your mobile device? In a word, yes — here’s how to protect your data

Oct 19, 2022

4 min

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and being aware of all your devices is as important as ever before. Most people are online every day, which opens themselves up to a threat of being hacked. Whether it be a mobile device, laptop, or personal computer, everyone needs to have cyber awareness.

Steven Weldon, director of the Cyber Institute at Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences said many straightforward things that can be done to protect devices, such as having lock screens, making sure operating systems are up to date and simply recognizing how, when and where devices are being used.

“Smart phones today are probably the most capable computing device that we have and we have it on us all the time,” said Weldon.

“The data that can be extracted from these devices can be put together to build a pattern of life on us: where we go, what we do and when we do it. All of this data is potentially at risk if we’re not being careful about who gets access to our smart phones. That’s a great reason to lock the screen and require at least a password or pin to unlock the phone.”

Gokila Dorai, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences, suggests using biometrics to enhance security.

“I would strongly recommend for women, young adults even teenagers, if it’s possible for you to have biometrics as a way to unlock your device, then go for that. These unique ways of unlocking a device would add a layer of protection,” said Dorai.

Dorai is one of the growing experts in the field of mobile forensics and her research projects are federally funded. In addition, several SCCS faculty are mentoring undergraduate and graduate students working on cutting edge research related to mobile device security and digital forensics.

She also suggested adding a two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.

When out in the public, it’s easy to connect a mobile device to an unprotected Wi-Fi network. Doing so could open up sites you visit to a hacker. Weldon suggests people should be careful of what apps are used when on public Wi-Fi, since they may expose a lot of personally identifiable information. His suggestion is to use a virtual private network to help protect data that’s being transmitted and received.

“We should recognize the data on our smart phones and protect them accordingly,” added Weldon. “Recognizing the value and sensitivity of the data on our smart phones can guide us in how we protect these devices. We may not think as much about the security and privacy of our smart phones as we do about our laptops and desktops. When we think about everything we use our smartphones for, how ubiquitous they are in our lives, we come to realize just how central they are to today’s lifestyle in the digital age.”

It’s tough to identify when a mobile device has been hijacked, so both Weldon and Dorai suggest paying close attention to any unusual behavior, even small things such as a battery draining faster than usual. Both are indicators you may need to take corrective actions.

Dorai added the government can do more to protect a person’s privacy.

“With the introduction of more and more Internet of Things devices in the market, with several different manufacturers, there’s a lot of user data that’s actually getting exchanged. These days, the most valuable thing in the world is data. So stricter measures are required,” she said.

She indicated it needs to be a collaborative effort between industry, academia, government, and practitioners to come together and work on ideas to strengthen security.

“Yes we want security. We are willing to put up with a little bit of friction for additional security. We want it easy and we generally want it free,” said Weldon. “We don’t read licensing agreements, but we would generally be willing to take certain actions, make certain tradeoffs, to be more secure.”

One other major concern are apps in general. While Google Play Store and Apple routinely remove some apps that may be out of date or have security vulnerabilities, they may still be running on a user’s device.

“Mobile applications may also hide from you in plain sight in the sense the app icons may not be showing up on the screen, but still they are running in the background,” added Dorai.

In essence, the device user is the first line of defense. Taking all the necessary steps to prevent a third party from getting your information is of the utmost importance in the digital age.

“I believe a big part of it this discussion is about user awareness. We want that free app but that app is asking for a lot of permissions. There’s an old saying in cybersecurity: if you are not paying for the product, you are the product. There’s also another saying: if it’s smart, it’s vulnerable,” said Weldon.

Are you a reporter covering Cybersecurity Awareness Month? If so - then let us help with your stories.

Steven Weldon is the Director of Cyber Institute at the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University and is an expert in the areas of cellular and mobile technology, ethics in computer science, scripting and scripting and automation.

Gokila Dorai is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University and is an expert in the areas is mobile/IoT forensics research.

Both experts are available for interviews - simply click on either icon to arrange a time today.

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Gokila Dorai, PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Dorai’s area of expertise is mobile/IoT forensics research and developing a targeted data extraction system for digital forensics.

Artifical IntelligenceSystem SecurityDigital ForensicsDigital CrimesSoftware Development

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Aug 20, 2026

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AU Hosts Congressional Hearing on 'Building an AI-Ready America'

The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce held its first artificial intelligence field hearing of the year, titled "Building an AI-Ready America: How AI Is Creating Opportunities Across America's Workforce," at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University on July 24. U.S. Rep. Rick W. Allen, who represents Georgia's 12th District and chairs the committee's Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired the hearing. He was joined by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia. Jeffery Talbert, PhD, chair of Augusta University's Department of Artificial Intelligence and Health at the Medical College of Georgia and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, served as one of four witnesses at the hearing. "Today, we examine how artificial intelligence, AI, is creating economic opportunities for American workers, job creators and our communities," Allen told the committee. "There's no better place to hold this hearing than right here in Augusta." Allen said the combination of the Georgia Cyber Center and Fort Gordon provides the expertise needed to discuss AI. "Fort Gordon is just a short 30-minute drive from where we currently sit," he said. "It hosts the Army Cyber Center of Excellence and is home to Army Cyber School, which trains, educates and develops the Army's Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare workforce. Every year, thousands of people leave Fort Gordon looking for work." He added that the Georgia Cyber Center "was created to meet this growing demand and drive collaboration between academia, government and industry stakeholders to equip a superior cybersecurity workforce with the skills they need." Augusta University President Russell T. Keen told the committee it was an honor for AU's Georgia Cyber Center to host the hearing. "Congressman Allen has long recognized the important role that education, innovation and workforce development play in strengthening our state and our nation," Keen said. He added that AI "will continue to change how we live, how we learn, how we work and how we solve problems," and that Augusta University "intends to lead in that transformation in ways that strengthen our workforce, advance discovery, improve lives, change lives and save lives." Talbert, who has more than 30 years of experience in biomedical informatics, has published approximately 260 times and has led more than 100 funded research projects totaling more than $130 million. He told the committee that in health care, AI is demonstrating its greatest value through augmentation, helping professionals "work more effectively, reducing administrative burdens, improving patient outcomes and expanding workforce capacity." He pointed to ambient documentation technology, which converts clinical conversations into draft notes clinicians review and approve, as one of the industry's most successful AI applications. "Multiple studies show these tools reduce documentation burden, after-hours work and burnout," Talbert said. "One multisystem implementation found clinician burnout fell from approximately 52 percent to 39 percent." He also cited studies showing AI-assisted breast cancer screening detecting approximately 29 percent higher cancer rates, "helping more patients benefit from earlier diagnosis and treatment." America's opportunity, Talbert said, "is not simply to adopt AI, but to lead its responsible development, education and implementation." He pointed to Augusta University's Department of AI and Health, the first of its kind in Georgia, as an example of that approach. Allen closed the hearing by cautioning against a one-size-fits-all approach to AI policy. "The needs of a family farm are not the same as those of a hospital, a manufacturing plant or a small business," he said. "Congress must pursue flexible policies that allow businesses to adopt AI in ways that best suit their industry and workforce." JagWire has the full recap of the hearing and the Augusta Chronicle, Innovation & Entrepreneurs News and Traders Union also covered the field hearing. Augusta University experts in artificial intelligence, healthcare innovation and workforce development are available for interviews. If you're covering similar stories, reach out to schedule time.

Aug 26, 2026

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MCG researchers awarded $275K grant to study HIV and retinopathy correlation

It’s often said that “teamwork makes the dream work,” and scientists from different disciplines at Augusta University are a perfect example of that. Manuela Bartoli, PhD, research director and professor of ophthalmology at AU’s Medical College of Georgia, has joined forces with Eric Belin de Chantemèle, PhD, a physiologist in MCG’s Vascular Biology Center, to explore the link between HIV and retinopathy. The pair was recently awarded a two-year $275,000 grant from the National Eye Institute that will allow them to test different variables on a transgenic mouse model and assess how they impact the development of retinopathy. The project began with Bartoli and Belin de Chantemèle examining transgenic mice that expressed viral proteins linked to HIV. They found that the blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients to the mice’s retinas were not functioning properly. “So, we developed the idea that people living with HIV may be more prone to or progress more rapidly when they get one of the ischemic retinopathies that are very common, particularly diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration,” Bartoli said. “I think this is important because we’ll basically define a chronic HIV infection as a risk factor for the development of the most severe ocular disease.” Bartoli’s work focuses on ischemic retinopathies, which are conditions that reduce blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the retina – the part of the eye responsible for vision. These disorders are the leading cause of blindness around the world. Different types include retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Several factors contribute to ischemic retinopathies, such as oxidative stress and inflammatory processes. Bartoli infers HIV might be another risk factor, but it’s tough to confirm as antiretroviral therapies make the virus nearly undetectable. “The number of people living with HIV is growing in terms of age, so most likely they will develop, at some point, a disease like age-related macular degeneration, which is really common in the elderly population,” Bartoli said. “We knew the individual has the acute infection, and because of the immunosuppression, they develop a number of infections that lead to retinal dysfunction. There was also reported what is called retinitis due to HIV. But with medication, these acute events disappear, and we don’t know, when you get older and develop one of these diseases, how is it going to progress?” While cART therapies can manage HIV, Bartoli noted they don’t fix the defective blood vessels in the retina. And it’s not just the retina. The big picture is that HIV alters blood vessels throughout the human body, therefore elevating blood pressure and causing cardiovascular disease. “We have blood vessels in every single organ, whether this is the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, the brain, the eyes, they are everywhere,” Belin de Chantemèle said. “As HIV is damaging the vessel, that would lead to dysfunctions in all those different organs.” “On top of that, people who have HIV usually have additional comorbidities. Very often people become obese, have diabetes,” he continued. The researchers plan to eventually move beyond mouse models and include human subjects in their study. “I’m already working with people around to try to get information,” Bartoli said. “For example, in the VA system.” The ultimate goal is to establish how HIV contributes to the progression of eye diseases, which will hopefully lead to a better understanding of why it happens and how to treat it. “If this individual who progresses more rapidly goes to the doctor when they are blind already or semi-blind, it’s too late for anything,” Bartoli said. “Blindness is the primary fear in people, so we’re going to combat the cause to prevent this side effect.” Discoveries at Augusta University are changing and improving the lives of people in Georgia and beyond. Your partnership and support are invaluable as we work to expand our impact. See more experts at Augusta University → Click here

Aug 17, 2026

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The Real Risk of AI in the Classroom Isn't the Tool, It's the Shortcut

Artificial intelligence has moved from novelty to daily habit in classrooms across the country, and the debate over what that means for learning shows no sign of slowing down. Some schools have built AI into their curriculum. Others have banned it outright. Caught in the middle are students trying to figure out where the technology actually helps and where it quietly gets in the way. Trent Kays, PhD, an assistant professor and Director of Professional Writing and Rhetoric at Augusta University, has spent time researching exactly that question, and he recently sat down with FOX54 News to talk through what he's seeing firsthand. Kays, who also serves as a faculty affiliate in Women's and Gender Studies and specializes in digital rhetoric and machine writing, says students are already using AI for far more than quick homework help, from brainstorming and studying to building out entire lesson plans on their own. The bigger concern, according to Kays, isn't misuse in the obvious sense. It's what he calls cognitive offloading, students handing the thinking itself over to the machine. "Students are essentially using AI to do their thinking for them, which is not something that they should do," he said. It's part of why he keeps AI out of his first- and second-year courses entirely: those early classes are where students build the critical thinking skills they'll need before a tool can actually help. "They have to be able to think critically first before they can ask a tool to help them." Accuracy is its own problem. AI tools have gotten sharper, but Kays points out they still fabricate information regularly, including sources that were never real to begin with, something students are far less likely to catch than an instructor who actually reads the citations. None of this means Kays thinks AI belongs outside the classroom. He describes it as a potential process partner, something that can push a student's thinking further rather than replace it, as long as the structure around it is clear. As he put it, what schools need now is to "craft clear guidelines and structures for students to follow so that they know how to use it and how to use it well." Read the full interview and FOX54's coverage here: AI in the Classroom: Augusta University Professor Explains the Benefits and Risks Dr. Trent Kays is available for interviews on AI in education, digital rhetoric, and responsible AI use in academic settings. If you're covering similar stories, click on this icon to schedule time with him.