Hello, Harry, :)
Thank you for sharing this informative article. Kim Komando is a very
reputable and knowledgeable diva in the computer world and I subscribe to
all her free newsletters. She rocks!
Thanks again, Harry!
- Angelvoice
-------Original Message-------
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: 7/1/2007 7:58:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VICUG-L] who's that inside my cell phone?
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
SPONSORED BY
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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.
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
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Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
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Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
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