Will a Hacker Crash your Cell Phone?

Mobile devices being compromised by hackers? What in the world does this mean? Should we be concerned at all? According to WinXP news, we might at least want to bring ourselves to a state of elevated concern.

In an issue of the newsletter published last July, we discussed the new “smart phones” and cell phone/handheld computer combos that have been creeping into the market over the last few years. Back then, many of you wrote to say that you were already frustrated by the complexity of modern mobile phones, but others said they were looking forward to an affordable, functional “all in one” device that combines phone, personal computer/PDA, TV, MP3 player and more.

One aspect of the computerized phone that didn’t come up was the inevitable issue of security. As phones become repositories of information, they also become more attractive targets to hackers. A phone hacker could crash the operating system and make your phone unusable. Even worse, a hacker might be able to access names and phone numbers, calendar appointments, notes and other data you store using the phone’s PDA functions, listen your conversations, or make long distance calls charged to your number. Ouch! They do this by intercepting signals that transmit the phone’s ID numbers and then “cloning” the phone. What about those pictures you take with your camera-equipped phone? Would you like for a stranger to access and peruse them?

None of this is new or limited to mobile phones, of course. In fact, one of the earliest forms of hacking involved hacking the telephone company networks (those who specialized in getting free long distance service and otherwise manipulating the phone equipment were called phreakers). But new wireless technologies make it even easier.