Hi all,
Here's Kim Komando's tip of the day for today, June 30th, and for those of you who have and use cell phones, or if you're thinking about getting one, take this to heart, and tell everybody you know who uses cell phones.
Harry
Who's that inside my phone?

6/30/2007

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What could be creepier than someone living inside your phone—mocking you, taking pictures of you, threatening to kill you and your family?

That apparently is what has happened to members of three families in Washington State. Police are taking the situation seriously. But they have been unable
to stop the harassment.
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People aren't actually inside the phones, of course. But intruders have apparently cracked the phones, taking control of them. News reports quote security
experts as saying the situation is possible, but improbable. Tell that to the families.

The families say raspy, juvenile voices make the threats. The intruders know what family members are wearing, and what they eat. The attacks continue even
when the phones are turned off.

Is this the future of cell phones? I hope not. But security software is obviously going to be needed. Some programs are available today. But this situation
makes me wonder if the bad guys are ahead.

Cell phone spying programs

Actually, at least one cell phone spying program is available. The program is FlexiSPY, by Vervata Wireless Software. Vervata is located in Thailand. FlexiSPY
is pretty intrusive.

FlexiSPY apparently does not allow a remote listener to eavesdrop on conversations. But it can turn on the phone's microphone. The eavesdropper then can
hear what is happening around the phone. It also records e-mail and SMS messages and uploads them to a server. The program is operated from another phone.
The eavesdropper can access the server over the Web.

The eavesdropper must have physical access to the phone. The software cannot be installed remotely. But it is operated remotely.

Who would use such a program? Well, Vervata markets it to people suspicious of their spouses. And it says companies can use it to check on employees. Further,
it says, it can spy on meetings with the listening feature. This all sounds pretty dubious to me.

If Vervata can develop such a program, hackers can too. I believe someone probably installed the Washington State program as a prank. The hacker probably
needed physical access to the phones. However, at least one expert has said the program could be included in a downloaded photo.

How to protect yourself

What can we do to protect ourselves? The cell phone security market is immature, to say the least. But security products are available. For instance, F-Secure
Service Platform for Mobile protects phones. It guards against FlexiSPY, which it considers a Trojan. Vervata expresses outrage on its Web site. But if
FlexiSPY were on my phone, I certainly would want to know.

Symantec also offers security software for cell phones.

In the meantime, don't leave your phone unattended. Don't download anything suspicious. And hope for the best.


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