The most commonly used computer platform nowadays is no longer a desktop or a laptop — it’s a phone. According to Bank My Cell, as of August 2019, there are more than 5 billion mobile devices worldwide. A staggering 67 percent of the population has some kind of mobile device, and research suggests the average person spends five hours a day on their phone — about a third of the time the average person is awake. It’s no wonder attackers are targeting the mobile phone market.
Concern is growing about subscriber identification module (SIM) swapping and SIM cloning attacks. Recent news involving high-profile individuals — such as reports of a CEO falling victim to SIM swapping schemes and the infamous TrickBot Trojan adding a feature to aid in carrying out SIM-swap fraud — is drawing increasing attention to these mobile cybersecurity threats. IBM X-Force Incident Response and Intelligence Services (IRIS)’s findings from dark web research also reveal attackers’ interest in carrying out these types of attacks.
SIM Double Trouble: Swapping and Cloning
SIM swapping and SIM cloning are two distinct methods by which a third party can attempt to compromise a mobile phone, both aiming to duplicate its subscriber identification module card. SIM cards, which are smart cards inserted into a phone for the purposes of identifying it on a cellular network, store data and help identify and serve the subscriber who owns the device.
What happens when someone else has your SIM? Just as you would insert your SIM into a new device (or when changing de ..
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