Internet fraud and mobile communications

The telecommunications industry is integrating the Internet with mobile phone services, a development which, industry sources warn, will increase the opportunities for fraud. They fear that third generation WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) mobile phones could expose the sector to the types of computer viruses that have already beset IT companies and also provide hackers with easier access to the Internet and the burgeoning e-economy. These concerns were debated at the Crime 2000 event that was held in Kent under the auspices of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Federation of Communication Services. Terry Corbitt reports.

Charles Brookson, a senior consultant on telecoms security to the Department of Trade and Industry, advised delegates to the Crime 2000 conference that because third generation mobile calls are routed through the World-Wide Web, telecommunications companies must act to protect themselves against computer viruses and backdoor programs that provide hackers with easy access to networks. IT fraudsters could also focus on the automatic inquiry services that enable subscribers to surf the Net from their mobiles. Since the mobile phone will dial up sites automatically when an information request is made, there is ample scope for hackers to place intercept programs on the Net that will divert calls through premium rate lines without the user’s knowledge.