NEW VIRUS ON CELLPHONES MAKES YOUR CELLPHONE MAKE CALLS WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT
Virus Attacks on cellphones
An increase in virus attacks has been seen globally in October 2009, and it is only the beginning.
I warned about virus on the smart phones to become a growing problem as early as in May 2009. The attacks so far have been less malicious than just to prove that the cellphones are vulnerable to attacks through various ways.
The fact that the cellphones are less protected than the PC’s makes us believe what we see now is only a beginning.
You should begin to check your phone bill more closely now, as a virus has been found that makes your phone make a call on its own.
This is the first virus where we see some economic gain can be found, and we will talk about large money here. Just taking some few cents from each phone would make billions of dollars globally.
The hackers industry is on the loose, and they really want your money – and they are not shy of any methods to get it from you.
As a background, you can read some of the articles i have written about this issue previously. There can be some learning lessons in these articles as well.
October 2009
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/avoid-to-get-the-first-virus-on-your-iphone-1438490.html
June 2009
http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/iphone-and-ipod-touch-are-vulnerable-to-hackers-and-new-viruses-950916.html
May 2009
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/hackers-will-attack-cellphones-with-sms-bluetooth-and-other-innovative-ways-be-aware-912220.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/virus-on-your-cell-phone-possible-or-not-912285.html
This is how you secure your cell phone
It is totally irresponsible of any company to not install anti-virus software on their cell phones, however it goes for all of us individual users as well.
So far there has been seen as no need to install any anti-virus software on the cellphones as attacks have not been around for so long. However, there are several things you can do yourself to avoid viruses on your phone.
Turn off the bluetooth function when you are not using this function on the phone. Virus can be transferred through the bluetooth system and the probability will increase that someone will take over your phone.
Do not open files or MMS that you did not expect to get or know about in forehand.
If you surf on the internet with your cellphone, avoid pages you are not sure of or have no knowledge about at all. You have to remember that you probably are better protected visiting the same pages with your PC since it has a anti-virus software protecting you. The Cellphone is just like a PC without the anti-virus software installed.
You can buy a anti-virus software through the internet, however you can not find any proven good anti-virus software for free for your cellphone yet.
E-mail is vulnerable in particular.
You would hardly think of surfing the internet or running a email program without using a anti-virus software on your PC. However, the smart phones have become like mini-computers with an operating system and add-on software which all are vulnerable to virus attacks.
It is just here the cyber criminals have found an interest to tap into. The hackers are no longer the boys in the boys room sitting and making codes just to prove themselves. They are now part of an industry funded by major criminal organizations able to create malicious software with almost no limits any longer.
However, the problem is that most of the users do not even know how to install antivirus software on the cellphone.
This is a problem that face lots of cellphone users today, and it just indicate that if you want to have a sophisticated cellphone, then you need to become a more sophisticated and knowledgeable user. However, one can say that sellers of the hardware should take some responsibility to enhance security of the use of their product.
You do not sell a car without complying to some safety regulations and measures. And this lead back to the regulators, that they have no regulations on how safe a cellphone should be to attacks, and maybe this will wake up the legislators to demand some safety measures a hardware should comply with before it is sold into the consumer market.
No smart cellphone to be sold without any proven anti-virus technology enabling the user to feel some safety when using this product. Yes, it will increase the price of the product, but i believe the users will be willing to take this cost given the dangers he or she can be exposed to with a cellphone that is not protected at all.
So far there have not been any complaints in major scale based on the latest calling virus found on the cellphones.
So far you are responsible for any use of your cellphone number and have to pay to the provider any costs associated with your cellphone number.
This is were the conflict starts, who should be responsible to provide a secure service – the users or the provider?
There are several examples of people complaining of phone bill exceeding what they thought they could have been responsible for. However, it is almost impossible for the users to win through with these cases, as collecting evidence could only be done by the provider itself, which is part in the case. The consumer is bound to have lost. It is here the legislators should put some demands to the providers to be able to protect their users. The providers says they are not responsible for the virus attacks and can not be held responsible. On the other hand they provide a service that is prone to virus attacks, and should feel morally obliged to protect their consumer and clients.
We are having a mighty challenge at hand in the near future as these virus attacks will become more frequent and have more stealth power than today.
There are examples produced in the last few weeks of cellphones been taken over and started producing cellphone calls by itself, without any interference of the owner of the phone and the subscription. These examples shows that the phone has begun systematically calling phone The calls varies from few seconds to several minutes and will give the users an extra cost of few cents to Euros or USD pr call.
One examples shown to the public is that one cellphone made around 100 calls during a period of 2 days. It was only found since the user wanted to check why the phone bill showed a discrepancy from previous bills he had.
The evidence that this was a virus, comes from the fact that the calls did not show up on the cellphone call log at all. There is no doubt at all, the cellphone has been taken over by a virus.
This is only the beginning as the cyber criminals have found out tht it is very easier to take over your phone than your PC, as most have antivirus protection on the PC’s but not on the cellphones.
They have also found a very easy way to take money from the users as these services will be directed and used towards special phone services owned by the cyber criminals and therefore will get easy income from the users.
You might ask now, how is the phone infected in the first place?
There are several ways this can happen, but the most probable is that the owner has received a MMS with a virus infected file that takes over the phone. You might levee you open a photo, but in the background the cellphone loads a virus to be hidden on your cellphone.
Another way this method can occur is through surfing on the internet as some web pages have photos with this type of malicious code attached to it.
Another way is through the bluetooth system as files can be loaded onto your cellphone without your knowledge at all.
It is very difficult to detect these attacks and the only measure so far, is to double check your phone bill and make sure you can account for the calls made there. If not, then you should consider the fact that you have been attacked and there is a need to clean your cellphone to avoid further take over of the cell phone.
By taking over your phone, the cyber criminals will gain information on your cellphone which can be valuable, like email adresses and information inside these (sensitive information, passwords, number, accunts etc)
A virus can also make the phone to call expensive pay services abroad and the owners of these services can make a hugh amount of money on this.
Some viruses are just what it is – a virus to demonstrate a methodology or a way to contribute to the open source society amongst the cyber criminals to gain more knowledge about how to exploit your phone.
The best way to avoid attacks on your cellphone is of course to install a anti-virus program and not to open any files you have no idea were they come from.
The virus is not placed on the SIM card (as of yet not found that is), but is installed in the operating system on the phone itself.
Stig-Arne Kristoffersen has a background as civil engineer and geoscientist. He has worked mainly within the oil and gas industry from the mid 1980s. He has written a few fictional novels as well as being the author of some professional litterature within oil and gas sector, he act as a writer to various web sites.
How To Make Money Fast Using Your Cellphone
I have read in the forums about people being tired of working in their PC and seeing no results. They even neglect other recreational activities because they are locked in front of their PC to make a living! What a sad, sad situation! These people are part of those 97% in the internet who gets no or little money in the internet you know why? Because they don’t know what to do and they don’t know how to get it. Here are the steps to make money fast:
a.) Why not considering using your cellphone to make money? Is there a way? There’s a way and in fact it is one of the newest discovery today that lets your cell phone become a powerful tool and good alternative of your personal computers. Imagine people can continue having fun in the disco while know they are getting money with every beep of their cellphone in their pockets. And that every ring or beep means money, a fast $30 – $100 every beep!
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Grace Manotoc is a professional Procurement Engineer and a successful entrepreneur both offline and online since 2006. To go to free information to legitimate work at home and income opportunities please go to: http://earning-ways.com
A Cellphone Or… a Spy?
With the aid of a simple piece of software, any cellphone can turn into a device that would look good in a spy movie.
More and more often, we happen to read, on newspapers, magazines or websites, news about development of modern telecommunication technologies. A few weeks ago, for example, Italian newspapers were reporting the news of a father, who ended up under investigation for keeping his teenage kids under control through a cellphone which was turned into a real bug, able to transmit in real time, or record and transmit, whatever was happening around, even while apparently turned off.
This kind of devices, which for your ordinary Joe might be coming straight out of a 007 movie, are actually much more common, much easier, and last but not least, much less expensive than one could think.
As anyone may have noticed by observing the evolution of mobile technology in recent years, modern mobile phones are now much closer to portable computers than they are to an ordinary telephone.
And just like every PC, although with a different installation process, modern cellphones can host a wide array of software, either the normal utilities for the phone’s everyday activities (SMS, email, address book management, photo camera, MP3 player, etc), or specific products that make our phones a real multimedia station rather than a simple conversation device.
Ad esempio, oltre a programmi che, come detto sopra, possono trasformare il telephony in una microspia ricetrasmittente, spesso all’insaputa dell’utilizzatore, esistono anche altri programmi che rendono le nostre conversazioni sicure, codificando la trasmissione e rendendola inintelligibile a chi non sia in possesso dello stesso software e delle relativa chiave di decodifica.
For example, beside software that, as explained above, can turn our cellphone into a real bug, allowing third parties to listen, unbeknownst to the user, to any conversation around it even while turned off, there are also some utilities which, after being installed on a handset, make our conversations secure, by encrypting them, making any interception impossible and useless for any third party without having the relevant decryption key.
Just like a PGP key for email, this software allows to encrypt telephone communications (including SMS), by being installed on user’s handsets, along with a secret 256-bit key entered by all users. After installation the user can access the software from the Main Menu of the phone to place secure calls to other users. To place the call the user needs to enter the normal phone number of the caller from the dialer screen.
When the call is answered on the other end, the software checks for the correct keys on both ends and then initiates a 256-bit encrypted call. Missions and consultants in foreign countries do not need to be bothered of who is listening into their conversations, as they are over a data line which is heavily encrypted. At no point is any data sent over a voice channel or is in clear text type transfer.
This application ensures that information can be sent from anywhere in the world to headquarters within a few seconds. Some information requires to be sent instantaneously and requires an instant reaction. A simple call is to be placed to HQ and a conversation can take place to aid instant decision making.
The Encrypted Call Software is simple to configure. Just enter the 256-bit key on all phones that wish to communicate with each other and you are done. Simplicity of this software should not be mistaken for its performance. In the background the software uses Data Call facility provided by the network provider to seamlessly auto-adapt itself to any GSM network. The end user does not need to enter any complicated settings to make it operational, as an intelligent plug-and-play system ensures smooth operations.
For further protection, the key can be changed at any time. The software is only available for sale to Law Enforcement or related agencies.
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An iPAQ PDA Cellphone Will Keep You Connected Wherever You Are
An iPAQ PDA cellphone cwill help you combines the convenience of a cellular phone with the versatility and usefulness of an HP PDA. We all know that cell phones are everywhere, but the combination of an iPAQ PDA along with a cellphone will not only give you the ability to keep in touch by phone, but also the ability to wirelessly access the internet, work with your email accounts and even your corporate computer network. This kind of ability turns your iPAQ into a “smartphone” which is the latest trend in the PDA world. It has become apparent in the last years that people are reluctant to walk arounf with a PDA and a cellular phone, and that there is a need to combine them into one integrated device.
The choice of an iPAQ PDA cellphone can greatly cut down on the amount of items the traveling employee needs to cart along on a business trip. Instead of bringing along the laptop computer, the cellphone and the electronic organizer, the smart traveler can combine all of these accessories into one handy package. HP is at the forefront of this technology, and the PDA that is sold today can function as both a wireless computer and a cellphone.
There are many different models of PDA and pocket pc on the market. Since everyone has different priorities and different needs in a personal digital assistant, it is vital to do your research up front and find out exactly what you need. Look at the reviews in the computer magazines and on the internet. Write down a couple of models you like before you head out to your local electronics or computer store.
A good example for a great device is the HP iPAQ 6315 Quad-Band T-Mobile GSM Phone. This device has all the powerful feature of the well known iPAQ, along with a Quad-Band GSM cellular phone. It’s Dimensions are 4.68″ x 2.95″ x 0.73″, and it weighs 6.7 oz. So it’s a very compact device that gives you the best of both worlds.
It is important to shop around to find the best PDA for your needs. The reviews you find, both on the internet and in computer magazines, can help you find the best personal digital assistant for your needs. There are so many models of PDA on the market today, made by both hp and other manufacturers, that a good objective review is an essential part of the shopping process. Once you have found the perfect PDA cellphone, you will wonder how you ever lived without one.
Ron Heller is the owner and operator of a website
devoted to PDA, iPAQ software, PDA accessories, PDA computers and more
