Snapchats Are Saved to Your Phone
According to Snapchat, all photos sent through the app are deleted from the recipient and sender’s phones after they’re opened. Yet mobile forensics students uncovered an element of the app’s code that simply buries the photos, videos, and chats deep within the device rather than deleting them entirely. The photo-sharing app stores media under a folder titled “RECEIVED_IMAGES_SNAPS” and titles each file with a “.NOMEDIA” extension, making it more difficult — but not impossible — to locate the files in question. By changing the files’ extension, a process which can take up to six hours, users can restore their old Snapchats.

Read More: Can Hackers Breach WhatsApp’s Special Encryption?

Snapchats Are Saved on Snapchat’s Servers
Under Snapchat’s privacy policy, all video, photo, and message content is deleted from servers after it’s been viewed by all recipients or after 30 days. While this means that Snapchat doesn’t deliberately retain private message data for longer than necessary, it also means that videos and photos sent from your smartphone can be held on Snapchat servers for a month. In cases where a Snapchat is sent to a friend who’s lost their phone, or simply doesn’t open the message, the lifespan of your 10-second Snapchat has quickly expanded to 30 days.

Users Can Take Screenshots
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to bear in mind the fact that every Snapchat is susceptible to a screenshot. By simply holding down the power and volume buttons simultaneously, Android users can capture the Snap image forever. While this tool can be used innocuously, to grab silly images or cute pictures, it can also be used to save photos against the sender’s wishes. Even regardless of Snapchat’s practices of saving photos to personal devices or servers, Snap users should be conscious of photo and video content for the simple reason that a screenshot or quick photo can preserve a private image forever.

Hackers sometimes set their sights on a specific target. When this person is targeted, the hacker finds a way to physically access their device. YouTube videos are one way in which hackers can physically access the smartphone or another Android device of a targeted victim. A hacker can simply insert malicious code into an unencrypted YouTube video that the victim may watch and, when watched, the code makes its way onto the device of the victim. This allows the hacker to gain access to all of the information on the device.

Read More: YouTube: 5 Most Disliked Videos

Mangled voice commands hidden in YouTube videos can be used as a manner in which to insert the malicious code. Devices that execute voice commands can pick up on these mangled commands and execute them. The mangled command typically works by instructing the device to download and install malware. The victim of this type of attack may have all of his or her data that is kept on the device compromised.

The good news is that this type of hacking attack is complicated and is usually directed at specific targets. Thus, the ordinary YouTube video watcher does not have to worry about being hacked in this nature, at least not until the hacking technology is improved. Hopefully, YouTube will find a way to improve upon the security of its videos by then.

PSafe and Hacking

PSafe products can help to protect a device from being vulnerable to hacking attacks. PSafe Total, contains Antivirus protection that helps to guard a device against malware and other online threats. In addition, it includes features such as Advanced Protection, which protects your phone from third-party uninstalls, and Anti-theft, which allows you to block or wipe your data in case your phone is lost or stolen.