So, the News of the World is shutting down, and as it should. The "hacking" scandal has lowered my opinion of the tabloid press to rock bottom, but whatever sells a story right?
Enough of the rant though, back to the point. Phones weren't really "hacked", it isn't some mystical voodoo skill only a handful of people know, and I think some individuals may find it funny to do the same to their "friends" over the next few weeks as it is the most recent "cool" thing. David Rogers from the Naked Security blog posted some helpful tips and explanations here, have a read and see what you think. Have a play with your own phone and number, can you get in?
I remember getting my first mobile and this kind of "hacking" (although it wasn't called that amongst my group of friends) was prevalent as practical jokes. The fact that every mobile on the same carrier used the same default PIN to have remote access to voicemail made it all the easier. But in todays privacy driven, ever connected world your voicemails may be worth something to someone. The bad guys are always finding more ways to make money from personal information, so don't make it easy. Follow the steps in David Rogers post and see if you are vulnerable. If you are, fix it. Even the minor annoyance of having your voicemail greeting changed should be enough to motivate you to check your settings.
Some may accuse me of scaremongering, but in my line of work I see the outcomes of what bad guys on the Interwebs do everyday, so isn't it better to have all the information available to you so YOU can make the informed decision?
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