[IP] SMS Spam Could Disable Cell Networks

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Text Hackers Could Jam Cellphones, a Paper Says


By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: October 5, 2005
Malicious hackers could take down cellular networks in large cities  
by inundating their popular text-messaging services with the  
equivalent of spam, said computer security researchers, who will  
announce the findings of their research today.



Such an attack is possible, the researchers say, because cellphone  
companies provide the text-messaging service to their networks in a  
way that could allow an attacker who jams the message system to  
disable the voice network as well.

And because the message services are accessible through the Internet,  
cellular networks are open to the denial-of-service attacks that  
occur regularly online, in which computers send so many messages or  
commands to a target that the rogue data blocks other machines from  
connecting.



<snip>


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/05/technology/05phone.html



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