Reliable SMS interception leaves 2FA accounts open to attack

Text messages via SMS are often used as part of two-factor authentication strategies to protect login accounts. But a new and worrying study from Positive Technologies shows that real-world attempts to intercept SMS messages are 100 percent successful. The underlying technology behind mobile networks -- Signaling System No 7 (SS7) -- has had known flaws for some time. This latest report looks at major mobile operators in Europe and the Middle East and reveals that virtually every network examined allows eavesdropping on conversations and reading of incoming text messages. Fraud was found to be possible on 78 percent of networks,… [Continue Reading]