Hackers Could Take Down Mobile Networks

Hackers Could Take Down Mobile Networks

Scott Totzke, RIM's vice-president of IT security, has suggested that hackers could assault mobile networks with denial of IT service attacks launched from smartphones. The attacks would be similar to those that slowed internet traffic in the US and South Korea in July. He predicts smartphones being infected with malicious software that would exchange large data packets across the network.
The warning comes as researchers identify increasing numbers of virus-tainted smartphone applications, including versions of Google Maps and computer games. "These are not telephones anymore. These are computers. So people are going to have all the problems on their phones that they have on their computers," says Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer at Flexilis, a mobile security software maker.