Cell Phone Security: Risks and Dangers of Mobile Communications

Due to the structure of the mobile communicationsgets a hold of your cell phone signal, they can dissect it
system, cellular phones are significantly moreto steal, and clone the phone's identification numbers -
vulnerable to "cellular hacks" than other types ofthe ESN and the MIN. Once this information has been
phones.The two major dangers with mobilestolen, they can program it in to their own phones, and
communications are eavesdropping, and rebilling.Onstart billing straight to your account. This type of cellular
analog networks (which, as of late, have beencriminal is refered to as a 'cloner,' as they clone the
replaced with the two types of digital networks:identification numbers.Protecting yourself against
CDMA and GSM) anyone within range with a scannerRebilling is slightly more difficult than eavesdropping.
could pick up your cellular signal, and listen to what youThe cellular networks have done a lot to increase the
are discussing. With the recent move towards CDMAdifficulty of the cloner's job, however, cloning is still
and GSM digital networks, calls are encrypted for yourhappening. Disabling "roaming" support on your cell
protection, though, eavesdroppers with the rightphone is one easy way to eliminate much of the risk
patience can still decrypt these calls, and listen in onof cloning, cloners like roaming-enabled phones, as it is
your conversation.Protecting one's self againstdifficult for cellular networks to track roaming-enabled
eavesdropping is quite simple - consider your cellularphones and shut them down for fraudulent use. Other
phone as a handheld radio broadcasting station (as,than limiting your roaming usage, protecting yourself
that is effectively what it is) and don't say anythingagainst rebilling is likely a lost cause - instead, you
confidential. It's unsafe practice to blindly trust anyshould ensure you review all your cellular bills, and
communication medium, and always important toreport calls to your service provider.Adam X. Knife is a
remember that neither cellular communications, nortechnology enthusiast who runs a range of technology
landline communications are infinitely secure - bothand communications related websites, including the
have hundreds of faults and potential exploits whichimmensely popular exeLibrary Windows Process
should be considered.The second type of cellular fraudInformation database, and a set of cell phone review
is called Rebilling, or fraudulent billing. When a criminaland long distance phone carriers review sites.