A smartphone user receives repeated carrier warnings that they are approaching their monthly cellular-data cap, even though their normal habits and Wi-Fi usage have not changed. Which of the following causes is the MOST likely and warrants a security investigation?
The SIM card is physically damaged, causing the carrier to double-count data sessions.
The device's battery calibration became inaccurate after a recent operating-system update.
A malicious or compromised application is running in the background and transmitting data without the user's consent.
Automatic screen-brightness adjustments are drawing more power and increasing data usage.
Excessive data consumption without a corresponding change in user behavior often results from a malicious or compromised application sending or receiving data covertly. Battery calibration errors, SIM card damage, and adaptive screen brightness do not generate large background data transfers. Therefore, a rogue or infected app is the most plausible explanation and should be investigated first.
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