News
SIM-swapping on the rise - Fujitsu offers its thoughts
August 2018 by Fujistu
The Times today revealed that SIM-swap fraud has become a major issue, with cases reported to the police rising more than 60% from 2016 to last year, and companies such as Uber and Equifax admitting that customer data has been compromised in these kind of attacks. Paul McEvatt, Senior Manager of Cyber Security at Fujitsu, offered some insight into how this hacking technique works and how business and government should combat it.
“The rise of SIM-swap style attacks illustrates a fundamental fact about cyber-security in the 21st century – it is as much about awareness and education as it is about technical measures. SIM-swapping is a creative and psychologically savvy technique, and when it’s successful it can take advantage of the victim’s tendency to use the same passwords across numerous important accounts and their propensity to trust official and authoritative figures.
“With our latest report revealing that a fifth of the UK public believe cybercrime and hacking are the biggest challenges facing the UK today, it’s clear that businesses and government need to work together to ensure the integrity of the digital services which form the basis of our modern economy. Everyday users, from consumers to business executives, are on the front line of that battle and in a world of connected devices ensuring people are aware of good cybersecurity practise is key.”
