Friday, October 30, 2009

Computer "Tip of the Day" 10-30-09

--US-CERT Warns of Blackberry Spyware
(October 27, 28 & 29, 2009)
The US-CERT has issued a warning about a free spyware program called PhoneSnoop that can be used to bug BlackBerry phones. If the program is installed, one call from a designated number can turn the phones into listening devices, capable of eavesdropping on everything that happens nearby. The person who created the program said it was done as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the vulnerabilities inherent in being careless with the phones. Users could be tricked into downloading PhoneSnoop onto their phones, or it could be installed by someone else with access to the device. US-CERT recommends that BlackBerry users use passwords to prevent other people from accessing the phones and to allow downloads only from trusted sources.
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/BlackBerry-spyware-alert-843992.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10384179-245.html
http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/159209,us-cert-warns-of-malware-attack-against-blackberry.aspx
http://www.us-cert.gov/current/index.html#blackberry_phonesnoop_application_used_to
[Editor's Note (Schultz): Smart phones and other mobile devices are increasingly becoming the target of malware writers. Several excellent talks on this subject were presented at the recent Black Hat Conference.]

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