The Next Internet Threat: Text Messages

Now, along with weird emails from friends, random wall postings on Facebook from "friends" and mysterious messages sent over any of the instant messaging units you may use, you will now have to watch for hacker and virus threats on your phone via text messaging. Seriously. Couldn't they leave us one safe haven? Using common household computer tools that anyone can access, hackers can get into your phone and steal all your personal information. Is this really a threat?



Trust Digital, a mobile security firm, uploaded several videos to YouTube showing how "potential" hackers could access you phone. So, not only is this not a current threat, but they've now essentially posted a how-to video on how it can be done. Great. I loved the quote near the end of one of the clips, "This is a real threat, this is something we will see in the future." Yeah, thanks for showing us all how to do it.

Why would a hacker want to access your phone? Think about the personal information you store there. I know my mom wouldn't mind getting my sister's email account log in info. In two of the different versions of an attack via text messaging (somehow that doesn't seem very threatening - maybe it has an angry face emoticon >:{ ?) one involves getting access while you're asleep. The hacker sends a message to your phone, which activates it and has it go to a malicious website allowing the hacker to gain access to personal information. Another attack demonstrated could happen "while you're sitting in a coffee shop, sipping a latte, you could get attacked." How threatening.

This version allows a hacker to gain access to a phone currently using WiFi. They could be in the very same coffee shop you are: the creepy guy in the corner laughing behind his laptop as he downloads all your personal information. The problem with this kind of attack is that you don't know someone is currently accessing your phone. We're a little frustrated that True Digital, in showing everyone how these attacks work doesn't give us a way to fight them off. Of course, this could all be a PR stunt to get us to buy some True Digital products.

Or it could be real, in which case I won't be able to sleep with my phone on ever again. Don't try calling after 10, my phone will be off. And, just in case, you can check out our mobile security software to protect your phone. For more on the latest tech news, check out these other blog posts:

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