IPhone’s Security Booboo

IPhone’s Security Booboo.Are you aware of SMS spoofing? No? Have a seat please. Although cell phone spy software is a commonly known phenomenon and the presence of hackers vying to delve into your phone’s data is also pretty well known; however, there is a possibility that some of your might not know that cyber-mafia have conjured up a mechanism of delivering messages that seems like originating from someone you trust (friends, family, colleagues). This is summoned courtesy of address information manipulation, which makes the sender’s address seems legitimate even though it would actually be coming from an anonymous third party. Also, the reply routes also lead up to the said third party. And as things have panned out, it is iPhone that is under the gun of what is now being touted as a masterpiece iPhone tracking maneuver.

Chinks in the Armor

Spoofing the reply address and the sender is only possible because iOS allows these designation changes, which are not showcased in the thread of a text. This basically means that without actually realizing the fact, you could be providing the home number, address and the date of birth to a stranger instead of a friend. What is also connotes is that you could just as easily be clicking on a harmful link without realizing that you’re actually giving access to cell phone spy software or iPhone tracking software, just because you believe that the original text has been sent to you by your cousin. Ominous signs indeed.

Apple Says

Now that the Applecart has been severely upset by these new hacking methods, what is the company’s stance on it? And what exactly are they doing to overcome the problem? Zilch, for all practical purposes. There is no iOS overhaul plan, and if you were to convey your concern to the company they’d merely suggest that you should use the proprietary software in lieu of the standard SMS communication – which doesn’t solve much really, since it basically makes the purpose of having a mobile phone in the first place, null and void. How good would texting be if one could only contact iPhone users?

Fixing the Glitch

There definitely is no rocket science involved in ironing this particular crease – definitely not for a company as big as Apple. They just need to take cue from Android, BlackBerry et al and ignore the ‘reply to’ field or by ensuring that the reply address and the sender is displayed as a part of the text in the SMS. And then the user would just look at the sender and realize the fact that the message has originated from an unknown source, and hence not bother to reply at all.

As of now there aren’t any updates with regards to an upgrade in the iPhone software or any new relevant release. And till that happens, Apple buffs and iPhone users would need to be more prudent about the links that they click and the personal data that is sent in their texts. But it goes without saying that Apple’s booboo could have long lasting ramifications if the hole is not plugged soon.

This great tips on IPhone’s Security Booboo is written by Jane Andrew , She is a tech writer for MobiStealth and closely follows US and world technology trends. She writes about privacy and security and can be reached @janeandrew01

Check Out These Too:

About the Author:

Leave a Reply