How to Fend Off a SIM-card Attack on Your Cell Phone: Kevin Lee, Princeton University

Cookies: Tech Security & Privacy

Kevin Lee recently co-wrote a fascinating study about how easy it is for an attacker to gain control of another person’s cell phone. From there, the attacker can use the phone’s multi-factor authentication tool – usually a security code provided over a text message -- to do all kinds of damage, including making unauthorized purchases. As part of the study, his research team managed to fool five wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, into moving a customer’s account to a different phone’s SIM card without their permission. He’s a doctoral student in computer science at Princeton, affiliated with the Center for Information Technology Policy.