[ISN] Phone Hacking Threat Is Low, but it Exists

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/phone-hacking-threat-is-low-but-it-exists/

By Roy Furchgott
Gadget Wise
The New York Times
August 14, 2009

While the threat of bad guys hacking into your phone may remain minimal, 
it isn't non-existent. In fact, one security expert created an attack on 
the iPhone - sending a virus by text message - that is basically 
unstoppable.

The question is what are you going to do about it? There is a trade off 
to be made. Features that give phones their utility, like Bluetooth and 
Wi-Fi, also make them vulnerable to attack.

I spoke to some security experts about relative risks to help phone 
owners decide which steps were worth taking to protect their phones.

The first thing to keep in mind is that smartphones are really tiny 
computers. "As the phone becomes more and more like a desktop, they have 
the same issues," Johannes Ullrich, chief technology officer for the 
Internet Storm Center, which tracks Internet threats.

In fact, security experts are experiencing a certain sense of deja vu. 
"We are about at the point with phones that we were with desktops in the 
"80s," said Michael Gregg, president of Superior Solutions, a computer 
security company" Viruses were just emerging, and there was little 
public awareness, he said.

Here are the risks to consider, and steps you might take.

[...]


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