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How secure are cell phones these days?
- Thread starter isasir
- Start date
I don't know about the US cell phone systems, but on GSM the compressed digital data is encrypted using a secret key stored in your SIM card. Additionally, GSM uses frequency hopping - constantly changing the transmission channel based on a similar secret key.
Not only that, but whenever your phone switches cell, you are allocated a new 'temporary' account number - so that even if an attacker broke the encryption they wouldn't be able to find you when you switched cell.
Not only that, but whenever your phone switches cell, you are allocated a new 'temporary' account number - so that even if an attacker broke the encryption they wouldn't be able to find you when you switched cell.
chiwawa626
Lifer
Its a 100 times easyer to mug someone for their credit card or just look in a dumpster for a receipt then to listen to someone cellular voice converstaion and makeout the numbers.
elanarchist
Senior member
Although the odds are low, sometimes you can get crosstalk in your cellphone. In theory at least, this means that the other person could steal your CC info. I know I've gotten crosstalk more than a couple of times on my GSM phone, last time I got it was at LAX and I could clearly hear the other person's conversation.
A couple days ago, my cell phone rang and the caller ID said "Home" so I answered. The guy sounded really confused and asked for "Ron" and I told him he had the wrong number. But then right after I hung up the cell phone rang again from "Home" and it was actually my mom. Apparently the lines got crossed somehow. Don't know if this relates to security or not, but seems like lines do get misconnected and stuff.
OS
Lifer
One of my EE professors claims that he can routinely recover voice from digital cellphone transmissions.
As this applies to your situation, probably not a big deal. Your CC number is undoubtedly already floating around in the hands of many businesses and databases.
Just don't order hits on people while on the cellphone and stuff. 😀
As this applies to your situation, probably not a big deal. Your CC number is undoubtedly already floating around in the hands of many businesses and databases.
Just don't order hits on people while on the cellphone and stuff. 😀
Actually you would be surprised. How quickly you can get SS,CC, bank account and other number from cordless phone calls.
In the US if you have a digital cell phone or a DSS(Digital Spread spectrum) cordless phone you are pretty safe. The only people with the tech to decode it is the Govt.
For the most part, only the government has the money and resources to buy the correct equipment to monitor cell phone calls.........GSM encryption is no problem for the feds. Small time crooks who would want your credit card number and other personal info wouldn't bother with such an immense expense to buy the type of equipment needed to listen in on your phone call.
Anything is possible. Consider that if you have a CRT monitor, someone on the street in a van can remotely see exactly what's on your monitor........real black ops stuff, but theoretically possible.
However, you are generally as safe as a land line using your GSM phone to give credit card numbers/sensitive data.
In the end, it all comes down to money. If you do have the money to buy all the equipment necessary and hire the expertise to spy on someones GSM phone call, you are highly unlikely to be interested in petty stuff like stealing credit card numbers. 😉
Anything is possible. Consider that if you have a CRT monitor, someone on the street in a van can remotely see exactly what's on your monitor........real black ops stuff, but theoretically possible.
However, you are generally as safe as a land line using your GSM phone to give credit card numbers/sensitive data.
In the end, it all comes down to money. If you do have the money to buy all the equipment necessary and hire the expertise to spy on someones GSM phone call, you are highly unlikely to be interested in petty stuff like stealing credit card numbers. 😉
Most of this stuff is "reasonably secure," but they're still radios, and the safest assumption is that someone is always listening.
The various wireless consortiums want everyone to believe wireless to be as (or more) secure than a connected phone. Even the original 900 mhz cell phone was promoted as a secure system: the consortium even got some (really stupid) laws passed to make it illegal to listen in..... and you could monitor those with an old unmodified TV set. Even common scanners these days can do "trunk tracking," so frequency hopping is no big deal. Trunk systems are not radically different than the systems used for wireless phones.
The test equipment used to repair and test this equipment is expensive but available; on an equipment lease or rental , it's not too bad and some "bad guys" could monitor. It's strictly an issue of effort versus return. There isn't much effort in listening, and in a wireless-saturated area, the payoff might be worth it.
How many college students are ordering food for delivery and giving a CC for payment? The likelyhood of a "payoff" by listening is growing; IMHO, it won't be much longer before we hear about someone stealing information over the new wireless systems.
Bottom line: Regardless of the form factor, they're still radios. Radios can be intercepted. With the right motivation, encryption can be broken (note: all the DirecTV pirates that have cracked the last 4 generations of "unbreakable encryption" conditional access cards).
Be careful.
FWIW
Scott
The various wireless consortiums want everyone to believe wireless to be as (or more) secure than a connected phone. Even the original 900 mhz cell phone was promoted as a secure system: the consortium even got some (really stupid) laws passed to make it illegal to listen in..... and you could monitor those with an old unmodified TV set. Even common scanners these days can do "trunk tracking," so frequency hopping is no big deal. Trunk systems are not radically different than the systems used for wireless phones.
The test equipment used to repair and test this equipment is expensive but available; on an equipment lease or rental , it's not too bad and some "bad guys" could monitor. It's strictly an issue of effort versus return. There isn't much effort in listening, and in a wireless-saturated area, the payoff might be worth it.
How many college students are ordering food for delivery and giving a CC for payment? The likelyhood of a "payoff" by listening is growing; IMHO, it won't be much longer before we hear about someone stealing information over the new wireless systems.
Bottom line: Regardless of the form factor, they're still radios. Radios can be intercepted. With the right motivation, encryption can be broken (note: all the DirecTV pirates that have cracked the last 4 generations of "unbreakable encryption" conditional access cards).
Be careful.
FWIW
Scott
NogginBoink
Diamond Member
The older, analog cellphones are not secure at all. They're simple FM radios. Anyone with an 800MHz radio can listen to your conversations. Many 2-meter ham radios, for instance, are EXTRAORDINARILY EASY to mod to pick up this radio band. Not that I would know from personal experience, of course. Cough cough.
Newer, digital cellphones are relatively secure. Someone with enough money, time, and effort can probably listen in. But the casual radio shack flunky can't.
The same goes with cordless phones at home. You can learn a lot about your neighbors in the dormitories by using a 49MHz scanner. Yes, you too can try this for fun and profit.
Spread spectrum and/or digital cordless phones are secure from that kind of eavesdropping.
NOTE: listening to phone conversations like this is technically illegal, but catching an offender is near impossible.
Newer, digital cellphones are relatively secure. Someone with enough money, time, and effort can probably listen in. But the casual radio shack flunky can't.
The same goes with cordless phones at home. You can learn a lot about your neighbors in the dormitories by using a 49MHz scanner. Yes, you too can try this for fun and profit.
Spread spectrum and/or digital cordless phones are secure from that kind of eavesdropping.
NOTE: listening to phone conversations like this is technically illegal, but catching an offender is near impossible.
NuclearFusi0n
Diamond Member
Most cordless phones (900 MHz analog) are so easily monitored, it's not funny. 😉 Cellular phones are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy more secure than cordless phones, although they aren't even that secure. Hardwired phones aren't even secure. If you want secure conversation, use PGPfone or something. 😉
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