Mobile broadband internet users' smartphones can be hacked
July 30, 2009
Most people are aware that their home computer can be hacked - infected with a computer virus that can steal data or spy on the user. But smartphones, which are basically handheld computers with access to broadband internet, can be hacked, too.
Nearly one out of every 63 smartphones powered by the Symbian operating system, about 1.6 percent, is infected with some form of malware (a term for a computer virus), according to a new study conducted by SMobile Systems.
Symbian smartphones include Nokia phones such as the Surge, which operates on AT&T's mobile broadband internet service. Other types of smartphones have been hacked, including BlackBerrys and even the Apple iPhone.
Malaware can infect smartphones in a number of ways, including by Bluetooth, SMS, MMS, email or downloaded onto your phone from online application and shareware websites.
According to Daniel V. Hoffman, chief technology officer of SMobile, hackers can listen in on voice conversations and even track the location of the user.
Concerns about security are part of the reason Apple is warning users not to "jailbreak" their iPhones for the purpose of loading unapproved applications.
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