Tag: mobile hackers

Security experts claim that plugging your mobile device into a public charging station could lead to a cyber attack.

Mobile users who are concerned about smartphone security might want to think twice before they plug their mobile device into a public computer or charging station. According to security experts from Kasperksy Lab, these practices could lead to hackers stealing personal data.

Computers communicate and share information.

Most smartphone or tablet users wouldn’t give plugging their mobile device into a free public charging station a second thought.

However, what some users don’t realize is that every time they plug in their phone, data is transferred between their smartphone and the charger or computer. As soon as the connection is made, information is shared claims Kaspersky Lab researchers.

The amount of data that is shared between devices varies depending on the manufacturer. For instance, data that may be shared includes: the name of the device, the model and manufacturer, firmware information, serial number, and even its electronic chip ID.

That being said, all devices will transfer the same basic information: device manufacturer, device name and serial number. Unfortunately, this is enough information for a hacker to breach a person’s smartphone security, break into their device and steal personal information, according to the researchers.

Improving smartphone security will help to reduce the risk of cyber attacks.

The sad truth in regard to smartphone cyber attacks via public charging methods is that the hacker doesn’t actually need to be an expert to corrupt a device.

Alexey Komarov, a Kaspersky Lab researcher, explained that “if you’re a regular user you can be tracked through your device IDs; your phone could be silently packed with anything from adware to ransomware.” Komarov added that “you don’t even have to be highly-skilled in order to perform such attacks, all the information you need can easily be found on the Internet.”

While a disturbing thought, there are a few things mobile users can do to improve their smartphone security such as:

• Use only trusted computers and USB charging points when charging a device
• Purchase a personal external battery charger for charging a device when on-the-go
• Secure the phone with a password or fingerprint scanner.
• Never unlock the phone while it’s charging
• Install an antivirus app that is able to detect malware
• Protect data with encryption technologies

The company has used this opportunity to flaunt its strong reputation for keeping data and files safe.

BlackBerry Ltd. has taken the opportunity presented by the nude celebrity photo hacking controversy to remind people about the outstanding reputation that the company has in terms of mobile security.

As concerns have risen following the theft of highly personal celeb photos from the iCloud, Blackberry saw its chance.

The Canadian handset maker used its own official blog in order to pump its mobile security and to make recommendations for users to follow so that they can help to protect themselves against similar risks. The company used its most recent post to point out a range of different reports that have supported its claims for providing high quality security. These reports came from companies that included everyone from CNN and Time Warner Cable to CNBC and Fox News.

The blog post from BlackBerry provided steps for device users to take to boost their mobile security.

They explained that “As the iCloud hacking story continues to unfold, experts are finding it hard to talk about strong mobile security without bringing the corporate embodiment of it into the discussion.” A previous post provided readers with “five concrete steps for better mobile security.”

At the same time that this company was using the photo hacking scandal as a chance to place itself in a positive light, Apple has been working hard on damage control. Recently Tim Cook revealed that the company already had plans to implement a new security system that will add an additional layer of protection as it will provide users with a notification if any attempts have been made to change their account passwords or to download data to a new device from the iCloud.

Apple has also taken this time to point out that the hackers were able to obtain access to the content because they either guessed the mobile security question to reset the password or they sent phishing emails to which the celebrities fell victim and revealed their login details. The company has stated that this was not a case of the iCloud being compromised.