Cellular phone hacking refers to third party access to a person’s mobile phone without his knowledge, with the intent of stealing information. Mobile hacking can be legal or illegal depending on who is doing the hacking. For example, law enforcement agencies and governments often use mobile hacking methods to monitor and catch criminals and dissidents.
The story of Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation
Here is a story of how mobile hacking can ruin lives and even lead to crimes like murder.
The employees of News of the World, owned by Rupert Murdoch were accused of engaging in phone hacking and other activities like police bribery in the pursuit of stories. Preliminary investigations between 2005 and 2007 showed that the phone hacking activities of the newspaper were mainly targeted at film stars, politicians, and members of the British royal family.
Further investigations revealed that the phone of a schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, who was murdered was also hacked. Other shocking revelations that came to light showed that phones of relatives of deceased British soldiers and victims of the 2005 London bombings were also hacked.
The resulting public outcry led to the closure of the 168 year old tabloid. The trial cost the company a whooping 100million British Pounds. Several people occupying top positions in News Corporation along with Rupert Murdoch were forced to resign.
This story is sufficient to highlight the threats of phone hacking and the havoc it can create.
Why is phone hacking harmful ?
- It is an illegal activity in most cases
- It can seriously harm an individual’s privacy
- Unauthorized access to private information is not good for the targeted person.
- Criminals can use it to their advantage
The hacker
may view data stored on your mobile, broadcast your location or send messages
to your contacts under your name.
What Can Mobile Phone Hacking Accomplish?
A mobile hacking can be dangerous as it can heavily compromise with your privacy. Here is what mobile hacking does to you:
GPS: Most mobile handsets have a GPS chip embedded within the phone through which a hacker can determine your location. He can, thus, find out places you visit. He can keep an eye on your movement 24×7.
Voicemail: A hacker can make a call to your wireless provider to access voicemail and other functions. The providers permit a cell phone user to use the “skip pass word” option. This allows the hacker to bypass the password entry to get access to functions like checking your voicemail. Hackers dial in and trick the automated system into thinking it’s your phone. This way they can change your password, listen to you voicemail and make other changes.
Access to contact list: A hacker can get access to your contact list and download it.
Getting general personal information: The hacker can get access to your text messages, pictures, video and other private stuff. All these can then be stolen and, in extreme cases, can also be used to blackmail the victim.
Monetary losses: With more and more banking transactions being done through the cell phone, hacking also makes you vulnerable to bank and monetary frauds. A hacker can steal your password, bank details and digital payment details to steal money from you.
Speakerphone or Spy cam: This is a dangerous type of hacking where your phone can be hijacked and the camera or speakerphone of the handset be used to spy on you visually and audibly.
How mobile hacking can affect organizations
Mobile hacking is dangerous not just for an individual but also an organization. If hacker can hack the mobile of someone occupying a senior position in a corporate house, he can use the information to damage the company significantly. Here’s how:
Reduced Privacy
A lot of online activity is now shifting to mobile phones. Smart phones are being used not just for communication, but all sort of activities like sending mails and bank transactions to name a few. A hacker with access to your email, contact list, client information, communication records, personal photographs and videos can seriously affect your privacy. An organization can lose significantly if such data related to an employee occupying a high position in the company, is leaked out in the public.
Harmed Reputation
Organizations that get hacked also stand the chance of losing reputation over time. Harm of reputation can wreck havoc for an organization. These organizations also stand to lose business after some time due to harmed reputations.
Phone hacking has taken place on an industrial scale in the last several years. The targets of phone hacking have not just been celebrities but also ordinary individuals.
Phone hacking involves gross violation of an individual’s privacy and loss of autonomy over private information. It can cause huge anxiety, distress, and embarrassment. In extreme cases it has led to broken relationships and illnesses too.
In case you are worried about the privacy of your mobile data, the best thing to do would be to get it checked by an expert. At City Intelligence Pvt. Ltd., a Delhi based investigation agency, we are offering a free check of your mobile to know if it is hacked or safe.
All you need to do is visit our office and get your handset checked, absolutely free of cost! Checking mobile phones to know whether they are hacked or not is one of our most in-demand services.
So if you happen to be in Delhi, do not miss this opportunity and get in touch with us today.
