It’s 2025, and mobile phone numbers are ubiquitous. We use our telephone numbers to join web sites and on-line companies, from retail and banking to social media and well being suppliers. You should utilize your telephone quantity to reset a forgotten password, and even for receiving two-factor authentication codes for securely logging in to your accounts.
But when somebody can steal your telephone quantity, they’ll successfully turn into you.
Along with your telephone quantity, a hacker can begin having access to your on-line accounts, and even trick automated methods into considering they’re you when calling customer support. A hijacked telephone quantity can generally be used to entry an organization’s community as in the event that they have been that worker, permitting entry to delicate information and information.
That is all of the extra motive to proactively defend your telephone quantity from SIM swapping, a sort of cyberattack that includes a hacker hijacking a sufferer’s telephone quantity. The excellent news is that it’s simpler than it’s ever been to lock down your quantity.
SIM swapping assaults often occur when a malicious hacker calls up a cell service impersonating a particular buyer. This hacker would use info they discovered on-line, comparable to a buyer’s title and date of delivery, after which ask a buyer help consultant to switch or “port out” that quantity to a special SIM card or service. As quickly as that course of completes, the individual’s telephone quantity will activate on a SIM card or telephone managed by the hacker, permitting them to make calls and ship and obtain textual content messages as in the event that they have been the individual they simply hacked.
Oftentimes, the one signal that this has occurred is that if the sufferer abruptly loses cell service for seemingly no motive.
SIM swap assaults exploit a weak point within the safety controls inside a cell suppliers’ inner methods that allow help representatives make modifications to buyer accounts with out essentially getting the client’s categorical permission.
To fight these sorts of impersonation and deception techniques, referred to as social engineering attacks, three main telephone carriers in the US — AT&T, T-Cellular and Verizon — have launched safety features that make it harder for malicious hackers to deceptively get a buyer’s account modified, comparable to porting out their telephone quantity.
Take a minute or two to test your telephone service’s account; these options are sometimes not publicized very properly and might not be enabled by default.
AT&T
In July, AT&T introduced its free Wireless Account Lock security feature to assist forestall SIM swaps. The function permits AT&T prospects so as to add further account safety by toggling on a setting that stops anybody from shifting a SIM card or telephone quantity to a different system or account. The function will be switched on by way of AT&T’s app or by means of its on-line account portal by anybody who manages the account, so make it possible for account is protected with a novel password and multi-factor authentication.
T-Cellular
T-Cellular permits prospects to prevent SIM swaps and block unauthorized number port outs totally free by means of their T-Cellular on-line account. The first account holder must log in to alter to the setting, comparable to switching it on or off.
Verizon
Verizon has two safety features referred to as SIM Protection and Number Lock, which respectively forestall SIM swaps and telephone quantity transfers. Each of those options will be turned on by way of the Verizon app and thru the web account portal by an account’s proprietor or supervisor. Verizon says that switching off the function might end in a 15-minute delay earlier than any transactions will be carried out — one other safeguard to permit the reputable account holder to reverse any account modifications.