Security Chips on the Hot Spot

Mobile phones, it turns out, are susceptible to attack, as clever hackers have shown in recent years. Not all mobile phones are built the same way, which makes them more resistant to widespread attack than PCs. But operators with a strong economic incentive to sell more than just voice services are pushing phone makers to add more processing capability. Often this is done by adding an applications processor, which creates an opening for would-be hackers.

Wireless-network operators have already gotten their first taste of disaster. Last year, it was reported, hackers in Europe unleashed a wave of short messages that crashed certain phones. And in Japan, an e-mail sent to mobile phones triggered a piece of code that usurped the handset, causing it to call Japan’s national emergency hot line every 20 minutes. “There’s been a heavy investment by operators and carriers, and to get a return on investment they’re having to offer higher-value capabilities and services that involve downloading MP3s, video or financial transactions,” said Findlay Shearer, platform marketing manager for mobile products at Motorola’s Semiconductor Products Sector. Continue >>