Cell phone users are starting to be targeted by hackers, reported security experts McAfee. Receiving SMS messages with links to web sites, victims are coaxed into downloading unsuspecting software containing Trojan horse viruses.
Prompting McAfee Avert Labs to dub this new scam as "SMiShing" for phishing via SMS, some cell phone users have receiving messages that read: "We're confirming you've signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2/day unless you cancel your order at our website."
Many consumers fearful of incurring premium rates on their cell phone bill visit the web site. However, once they arrive, they are prompted to download a program which is actually a Trojan horse.
"Imagine the threat to enterprise networks once hackers learn how to fully exploit SMiShing techniques," stated McAfee Mobile Threat Researcher David Rayhawk. "Most large enterprises have thousands of employees, using a variety of devices to access their networks. Despite their best efforts to issue safety guidelines, IT security staff cannot control human behaviour - especially in light of the fact that mobile users have not (yet) learned to treat their phones with the same level of concern that they apply to their laptops. Mobile devices present a serious challenge to data security, with the potential to infect both carrier and enterprise networks."
