PI Newswire

A reader recently wrote: I am concerned with spying on our corporate iPhones. As a policy, we don’t encourage accessing the Web, we wipe the memory, we use PINs to authenticate, and we make sure our users never let the devices out of their sight. Users receive and send emails via Gmail, but they typically do not use Bluetooth; the setting is turned off. Is it still possible for a third party to eavesdrop on users’ conversations, and if so, what can be done to prevent this?

I certainly wish that more of my clients would take the security of their mobile devices as seriously as you do. Without locking a phone with a passcode, anyone who gets hold of one can access all of its email and data. A hacker could also take the opportunity to install software that wiretaps calls and even records ambient noise when the phone is unused. Also unless your phone is set up correctly to use encryption, you may send passwords and sensitive data in cleartext over untrusted networks.

Gmail is a good choice for email because it offers a secure Web connection and the phone must support and use SSL before logging in to send and receive messages.

Obviously it’s illegal to tap a phone unless you belong to the intelligence services or the police force and have been given explicit permission to do so. Also when it comes to the issue of iPhone and mobile phone spying, modern smartphones are a lot more secure than older cell and analog phones. Phones featuring digital technology are difficult for the average eavesdropper to crack, so you can feel pretty comfortable knowing your calls are secure. With a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, calls are encrypted between the handset and the network. There are exceedingly expensive ($200,000 and up) law enforcement cell phone scanners that can eavesdrop on modern phones, but you would have to be involved in serious criminal activity or discuss information of extreme value before anyone would undergo the expense of tapping your phone.

Read more…

No related posts.