Last week Jon Espenschied wrote an article in Computerworld describing 10 significant security risks with today’s smart phones. The article, while more than a bit geeky, makes an important point: today’s smart phones are general-purpose computers and, as such, they are vulnerable to all the same security problems as other general-purpose computers. Specifically:
They may not be running the code that you think they’re running (and that includes viruses, Trojan horses, and the like);
Many of the communications on and off the phone are not properly encrypted, if they are encrypted at all;
If you delete a file on the phone, it can probably be recovered;
It’s easy for a motivated hacker to spy on your phone.
Espenschied’s article makes good, alarming reading, but if anything, it underplays the risks of mobiles. That’s because his article stresses the security problems unique to smart phones but ignores the risks to phones in general.
Back in 2003 I wrote a brief tidbit, “Understanding Cellular Telephone Security and Privacy,” for a human-rights group that I was doing some work with. Instead of stressing the risks specific to smart phones, this document stresses the risks posed to any cell phone.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.