Text hackers may threaten cell phones

Malicious hackers could take down cellular networks in large cities by inundating their popular text-messaging services with the equivalent of spam, said computer security researchers, who will announce the findings of their research Wednesday. The New York Times reports.

"Such an attack is possible, the researchers say, because cell phone companies provide the text-messaging service to their networks in a way that could allow an attacker who jams the message system to disable the voice network as well.

And because the message services are accessible through the Internet, cellular networks are open to the denial-of-service attacks that occur regularly online, in which computers send so many messages or commands to a target that the rogue data blocks other machines from connecting.

... Cellular companies acknowledge that such attacks are possible, but say that they have developed systems to prevent effective ones.

... The paper, to be posted online at http://www.smsanalysis.org/, also offers suggestions for heading off the problem."

emily | 8:33 AM | Spam, Viruses and Hoaxes |
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