by CIO Staff

McAfee Warns of ‘SMiShing’ Attacks

News
Aug 28, 20061 min
Intrusion Detection Software

Cell phone users should watch out for text messages containing a website link that, when visited, could download a Trojan horse, security experts have warned.

In a blog posting Friday, McAfee dubbed the new development “SMiShing,” referring to a phishing attack sent via short-message service (SMS).

Some cell phone users have started receiving an SMS that reads: “We’re confirming you’ve signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2/day unless you cancel your order,” David Rayhawk wrote in the McAfee Avert Labs blog.

The message includes a URL that, if clicked on, downloads a Trojan horse that could allow a Web-enabled phone to be controlled by hackers.

SMiShing is another example of how hackers are injecting cell phones and other mobile devices with malware and viruses that could penetrate enterprise networks, according to Rayhawk.

-John Blau, IDG News Service (Dusseldorf Bureau)

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