3 Ways Your SIM Card Can Be Hacked And How to Protect It. Number 1 Sim-jacker. In September 2019, security researchers at Adaptive-Mobile Security announced they had discovered a new security vulnerability they called Sim-jacker. This complex attack carries out SIM card hacking by sending a piece of spyware-like code to a target device using an SMS message. If a user opens the message, hackers can use the code to spy on their calls and messages—and even track their location. They also believed the exploit was developed and used by a specific private company, which was working with various governments to monitor specific demographics—such as journalists and activists. All kinds of phones are vulnerable, including both iPhones and Android devices. Sim-jacker even works on embedded SIM cards (e-SIMs). Number 2 SIM Card Swapping. Another SIM card security issue you may have heard of is SIM card swapping. The technique uses trickery and social engineering, rather than technical vulnerabilities. To perform a SIM card hacking through a SIM card swap, a hacker will first call up your phone provider. They'll pretend to be you and ask for a replacement SIM card. They'll say they want to upgrade to a new device and, therefore, need a new SIM. If they are successful, the phone provider will send them the SIM. Then, they can steal your phone number and link it to their own device. All without removing your SIM card! This has two effects. First, your real SIM card will get deactivated and stop working. And secondly, the hacker now has control over phone calls, messages, and two-factor authentication requests sent to your phone number. This means they could have enough information to access your accounts, and could lock you out of those too. SIM card swapping is hard to protect against as it involves social engineering. Hackers must convince a customer support agent that they are you. Once they have your SIM, they have control over your phone number. And you may not even know you're a target until it's too late. Number 3 SIM Cloning. In a SIM clone attack, the hacker first gains physical access to your SIM card and then creates a copy of the original. Naturally, for copying your SIM card, the hacker will first take out your SIM from the smartphone. They do this with the help of a smart card copying software, which copies the unique identifier number—assigned to you on your SIM card—onto their blank SIM card. The hacker will then insert the newly copied SIM card into their smartphone. Once this process is complete, consider your unique SIM card identity to be as good as gone. Now, the hacker can snoop in on all the communications that are sent to your phone—just as they can in SIM swapping. This means they also have access to your two-factor authentication codes, which will let them hack into your social media accounts, email addresses, card and bank accounts, and more. Hackers can also use your stolen SIM card identity to carry out scams where a unique phone number might be needed. How to Keep Your SIM Card Safe. If you want to protect your SIM card against attacks like these, thankfully there are some precautions that you can take. Number 1 Protect Against Socially Engineered Attacks. To protect against SIM card swaps, make it hard for hackers to find information about you. Hackers will use data they find about you online, such as names of friends and family or your address. This information will make it easier to convince a customer support agent that they are you. Try to lock down this information by setting your Facebook profile to friends-only and limiting the public information you share on other sites. Also, remember to delete old accounts you no longer use, to prevent them being the target of a hack. Another way to protect against SIM card swaps is to be on the lookout for phishing. Hackers may try to phish out information from you that they can later use to copy your SIM. Be alert for suspicious emails or login pages. Moreover, be careful where you enter your login details for any account you use. Finally, consider what methods of two-factor authentication you use. Some two-factor authentication services will send an SMS message to your device with an authentication code. This means that if your SIM is compromised, hackers can access your accounts even if you have two-factor authentication on. Instead, use another authentication method like the Google Authentication app. This way, the authentication is tied to your device and not your phone number—making it more secure against SIM card swaps. Number 2 Set a SIM Card Lock. To protect against SIM attacks, you should also set up some protections on your SIM card. The most important security measure you can implement is to add a PIN code.

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