A sales representative says her Android handset suddenly shows carrier warnings that she is near her monthly data cap, even though she only replied to a handful of emails that day. She also notices the battery depletes much faster than before. Three days earlier, she installed a free flashlight app that was downloaded from an unofficial website. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason the device is triggering the data-usage limit notification?
Developer options are turned off, so the phone cannot optimize background data.
Bluetooth tethering has been disabled, forcing all traffic over the cellular interface.
The flashlight application contains hidden malware that is transmitting data in the background.
A recent patch reset the APN to the carrier default, increasing signal overhead.
The timing of the data surge and battery drain immediately after installing software from an untrusted source indicates the new flashlight application is behaving maliciously. Rogue apps often include hidden services that upload user data or display aggressive advertising networks, rapidly consuming cellular bandwidth and battery power. Developer options, Bluetooth tethering, or default APN settings would not suddenly generate large, unexplained data transfers.
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