Landline or bust

Gonz

Gonz

molṑn labé
Staff member
Computer hackers this week said they had cracked and published the secret code that protects 80 per cent of the world’s mobile phones. The move will leave more than 3bn people vulnerable to having their calls intercepted, and could force mobile phone operators into a costly upgrade of their networks
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Never discuss anything private or financial unless there are wires attached.

source
 
for at least the last 5 years...I've assumed that if I'm talking on a phone, someone unknown is listening.
 
If I have to give a CC number over my cell phone I give them the first 12 numbers and then hang up and call back to give them the last 4. That way someone listening on the cell I was on the first time will only get the first 12 numbers and the person listening on the second cell will only get the last 4 numbers. The chances of the same person getting all 16, or the two knowing each other and working in concert, are astronomical.

Normally I do not give numbers over the cell but there have been a couple of times where I had no choice.

When I managed the motel I would use the wireless phone but if there were a person who needed to give me any personal information for a reservation I would get their number and call them back on a secure landline.
 
Landlines are no more secure than cells. At least you have to have the equipment to decrypt a cell call, whereas your landlines (and usually the person you're calling) are protected by an unlocked plastic box on the side of your house or pole (not to mention the 25-pair pedestal in your neighbors backyard).

Nothing is 100% secure. Not even this 20+ year old encryption.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A5/1
 
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